Ashes of Vengeance (Silent) (DVD)

Norma Talmadge stars in this rarely seen silent masterpiece, considered one of the greatest of her career. Empress Catherine de Medici declares war on the Huguenots, throwing France into turmoil. In the midst of this conflict, the sadistic Comte de la Roche chooses to spare the life of his lifelong enemy, Rupert de Vrieac. He instead makes the Huguenot prince his indentured servant, believing a life of submission is a fate worse than death for his old foe. While tending to the count's needs, Rupert falls in love with Roche's beautiful sister, Yolande. His identity unbeknownst to her, the young woman finds herself attracted to the handsome stranger, who she knows as nothing more than a lowly attendant. When the vile Duc de Tours arrives at the Roche castle seeking Yolande's hand in marriage, she shocks everyone by choosing Rupert instead. The duke kidnaps the girl in retribution, torturing her until she submits to his proposal. Now Rupert must force the Comte de la Roche to free him from his servitude so he can rescue Yolande before it is too late.

Billed as "A Romance of Old France", Ashes of Vengeance is based on the 1914 novel by H.B. Somerville. Norma Talmadge began her career as a model at age fourteen, and was shortly thereafter recruited by executives at Vitagraph for a small role in The Household Pest (1910). With 1915's Captivating Mary Carstairs, the studio started billing her as "The International Darling," perhaps owing to her half-Irish, half-Jewish heritage. Her most successful pictures were, like Ashes of Vengeance, produced by her husband, Joseph M. Schenck, including Panthea (1917), The Wonderful Thing (1921), Eternal Flame (1922) and The Song Of Love (1923). Screen legend Wallace Beery starred in some of the greatest films of the silent era, including The Last of the Mohicans (1920), The Lost World (1925), and Beggars of Life (1928). His fame would only grow after sound was introduced, with unforgettable roles in Min and Bill (1930), The Champ (1931), and Treasure Island (1934). At one time, Beery was the highest paid actor in the world. Director Frank Lloyd is the Oscar-winning filmmaker of of The Divine Lady (1929), Cavalcade (1933), and Mutiny on the Bounty (1935). Josephine Cromwell also played Catherine de Medici in D.W. Griffith's Intolerance (1916).

• silent