Sensation Seekers

1927 film by Lois Weber

March 20, 1927 (1927-03-20)

Running time

70 minutes; 7 reelsCountryUnited StatesLanguageSilent (English intertitles)

Sensation Seekers is a 1927 American silent romantic drama film directed by Lois Weber, produced and distributed by Universal Pictures, and starring Billie Dove.^[1]^[2]

Plot

As described in a film magazine,^[3] Ray Sturgis, the leader of the fast younger set of a fashionable Long Island resort, is engaged to 'Egypt' Hagen, another member of the set who holds no objections to roadhouse parties or the use of liquor or tobacco. The various families of this set are ardent churchgoers of the Reverend Norman Lodge’s flock. Egypt is arrested in a police raid of the roadhouse and, at her mother’s bidding, the Reverend Lodge gets her free. Lodge is captivated by her misdirected efforts but does not preach. When Ray wears a costume made of newspaper headlines concerning Egypt’s arrest to a fancy dress ball, she is offended and finds that she is not her old exuberant self. She is constantly in the company of Lodge and her bad reputation causes the church people to take the matter up with the Bishop.

Running away from the country club party in a daring Oriental costume, Egypt visits Lodge and his mother and, when the Bishop arrives, hides behind the door. He discovers her and cautions Lodge in her presence. Lodge wants to marry her and they admit their love, but her humiliation causes her to run away with Sturgis that night. The yacht they are on is wrecked but Lodge and the Bishop, following, are able to rescue Egypt while Sturgis is drowned. Whereupon the Bishop sees that it is true love and consents to perform a marriage ceremony.

Cast

Billie Dove as Luena 'Egypt' Hagen
Huntley Gordon as Ray Sturgis
Raymond Bloomer as Reverend Lodge
Peggy Montgomery as Margaret Todd
Will Gregory as Colonel Emory Todd
Helen Gilmore as Mrs. Todd
Edith Yorke as Mrs. Hagen
Phillips Smalley as Mr. Hagen
Cora Williams as Mrs. W. Symme
Sidney Arundel as Deacon W. Symme
Blackie Thompson as Rabbitt Smythe (credited as Clarence Thompson)
Nora Cecil as Mrs. Lodge
Frances Dale as Tottie
Lillian Lawrence as Tibbett Sister
Fanchon Frankel as Tibbett Sister
Tom Ricketts (uncredited)
Walter Brennan as Below Deck Yacht Crewman (uncredited)
Eddie Foster Speakeasy Patron (uncredited)

Preservation

A print of Sensation Seekers is in the UCLA Film and Television Archive.^[4] The trailer also survives.

References

^ Progressive Silent Film List: The Sensation Seekers at silentera.com
^ The AFI Catalog of Feature Films: Sensation Seekers
^ "Universal Synopses: Sensation Seekers". Universal Weekly. 26 (6). New York City: Motion Picture Weekly Publishing Company: 38. September 17, 1927. Retrieved January 4, 2024. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ The Library of Congress / FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: Sensation Seekers

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sensation Seekers (film).

Sensation Seekers at IMDb
Synopsis at AllMovie
9 minute portion of Sensation Seekers available for free download at Internet Archive
Sensation Seekers is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
Several lobby posters: #1(Wayback), #2, and #3 (Wayback)
Still at silentfilmstillarchive.com
Still at moma.org
Sensation Seekers (1926) on YouTube (43 minute version)