669. Capital Punishment (1925)

*The Warlock opens the door to his lair. He’s wearing a black leather jacket, WWE Bloodline t-shirt, blue jeans, white sneakers and Gargoyle shades. He’s holding a Mega Pint of Barq’s Root Beer*

W: Welcome to my lair…welcome I don’t think so, but enter. Enter my lair if you dare. I’m your host The Warlock.

*Warlock levitates before walking inside*

W: With Oscar season coming up in a month, I thought about the first movie to win Best Picture and remember covering it back in 2019. For those that don’t remember, it was Wings starring Clara Bow. She was one of the top film queens of the 1920’s until movies went to “talkies”. The popular legend is she had a thick, Cyndi Lauper-esque Brooklyn accent and Hollywood was worried that she wouldn’t connect with cinema fans expecting her to sound as good as she looked. As silly as that sounds, it got worse as she had highly publicized divorces and was nearly arrested for tax evasion. Her last film was in 1933 at the age of 28. Imagine if Dakota Fanning just retired abruptly this year, that’s what happened with Clara. So what’s any of that got to do with tonight’s movie? I got my hands on a Clara Bow movie from 1925 back when she was in high demand. That movie is the 1925 drama CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.

*Warlock takes his seat in the middle of the couch*

W: So what’s the movie about? Some guy is accused of a murder that never happened just to see if the death penalty can be tweaked. As ridiculous as that sounds, that is the plot. Clara Bow is the lead actress so at least we get to look at her for the 67 minute runtime. So as I say time and time again, if it sucks at least its short. Also the movie is in the Public Domain so I can’t be hit with any copyright bullshit by filming my screen. So, with Clara Bow as the lead and a 67 minute run time, will CAPITAL PUNISHMENT at least be watchable? Let’s find out. So grab your popcorn, grab your drink and grab your woman because its time for CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.

Written by Florence L Gilbert, John F Goodrich, BP Schulberg

Directed by James P Hogan

Cast:

Clara Bow	…	Delia Tate
	George Hackathorne	…	Dan OConnor
	Elliott Dexter	…	Gordon Harrington
	Margaret Livingston	…	Mona Caldwell
	Mary Carr	…	Mrs. OConnor
	Robert Ellis	…	Harry Phillip
	Alec B. Francis	…	Chaplain
	Eddie Phillips	…	Condemned Boy
	Edith Yorke	…	Boys Mother
	Joseph Kilgour	…	Governor
	Wade Boteler	…	Officer Dugan
	George Nichols	…	Prison Warden
	John T. Prince	…	Doctor (as John Prince)
	Fred Warren	…	Pawnbroker
	Sailor Sharkey	…	Convict
	Harry Tenbrook	…	Executioner
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
	Joseph North	…	Butler (uncredited)

*Warlock reads the tag-line*

W: “An experiment in death penalty. A man is accused of a murder, that never happened. Complications arise.”

W: Hahahahaha a murder that never happened.