Coins in old movie

[DWLange]

This topic has been discussed before, but I saw some interesting coins in a silent movie last night. The film is titled Greed, and it was shot on location in San Francisco, Oakland and Death Valley during the spring of 1923 but not released until Dec, 1924.

 

In one scene, Marcus holds in his open palm two Mercury Dimes (F-VF) and one nearly slick Barber Dime. In another scene, Trina opens her change purse to reveal several dozen coins. Most are quarters and nickels, with a few dimes and cents. Nearly all are seen edge-on, so the only identifiable type was a Standing Liberty Quarter obverse. Since Trina is a miser, she tells her husband that she has no small change, and he has to pay for the flowers.

 

Toward the end of the film Trina, who has been abandoned by her husband for her selfishness, withdraws from the bank her entire lottery winnings of $5,000 in double eagles. The coins are seen stacked in columns in front of the teller's cage. Later, she spreads them out on the bed in her miserable lodging house and sleeps nude on them for the sheer ecstacy of having so much gold. The coins are shown briefly in near close-up, but they are not actually double eagles. Most are stage money of some sort, but a couple are recognizable as silver dollars, one Morgan and one Peace. The coins were hand-tinted gold in this otherwise black-and-white film.

 

The same still photo reappears in the closing moments, when Trina's husband McTeague is stranded in the desert with the coins he took after killing her in a fit of rage. Hand-cuffed to his former friend Marcus, whom he has also killed to keep the gold, he realizes then how money has destroyed all their lives.

 

Greed is considered one of the greatest films ever made, and the original director's cut was 9-1/2 hours long! The studio took it away from producer/director Erich von Stroheim and released it months later in a 2+ hours version. The film shown on TCM this week was about four hours long, some of the missing scenes recreated with production still photos and title cards to explain the action.

[cpm9ball]

It sounds like a worthwhile flick to watch. Thanks for the heads up, David.

 

Chris

[RWB]

Neat! I should have watched that during the last staff meeting - sounds more interesting and it had a point, which the meeting did not.

[shirohniichan]

Greed is considered one of the greatest films ever made, and the original director's cut was 9-1/2 hours long! The studio took it away from producer/director Erich von Stroheim and released it months later in a 2+ hours version. The film shown on TCM this week was about four hours long, some of the missing scenes recreated with production still photos and title cards to explain the action.

 

I've been waiting for YEARS for Greed to come out on DVD, and I'm sad I missed the chance to see it.

 

I see the VHS copies on sale for $95 on Amazon, and I ain't gonna pay that much (even to see a crazed Zasu Pitts rolling on classic coins).

 

The Frank Norris novel on which the film is based, McTeague, is worth a read. After reading it I even stopped by the Carson & Colorado Railroad station in Keeler since it was featured in the story.

[shirohniichan]

I should add that collectors today would execrate the memory of Trina were she a real character. In the book she so loved her money that she polished her double eagles every day.

[johnny9434]

id like to see the short version of that ( the 2 hr one ). what a cool scene to see all them double eagles