Cecil B. DeMille’s 1924 silent film, “Feet of Clay” has been lost to the ages, unless someone finds a print in their musty attic or dank basement. Here’s the plot edited from Wikipedia:
Kerry Harlan (Rod La Rocque) is unable to work because he was injured in a battle with a shark, so his youthful wife Amy (Vera Reynolds) becomes a fashion model. While she is away from home, Bertha (Julia Faye), the wife of his surgeon, tries to force her attention on Kerry and is accidentally killed in an attempt to evade her husband. After the scandal Amy is courted by the dashing Tony Channing (Ricardo Cortez), but she returns to her husband and finds him near death from gas fumes. Because they both attempted to commit suicide, their spirits are rejected by “the other side” and, learning the truth from Bertha’s spirit, they fight their way back to life.
For DeMille’s reputation, it might be a good thing that this film has been lost!
Above are Rod La Rocque, Julia Faye, Vera Reynolds, and Ricardo Cortez. So much drama in one photo as the two couples have switched partners! Below is a surviving still from the film, which was shot on Catalina Island.
While the pier is still there (although most likely redone at some point), the building in the background does not appear to exist anymore.
In the first detailed view below, the cast is literally horsing around:
Sunbathers on the shore:
About to make a dive:
I’ve been to the Island twice, most recently in 2020. While it is beautiful, I can’t say it’s a place that I would rush back to.
See more Catalina photos at my main website.
