The Devil

This five-reel screen production of Franz Molnar's well-known play by the same title is even better than the play in certain respects. The appearance of the devil, as impersonated very cleverly by Edw. J. Connelly, gains a certain sinister quality in the pantomime. He flits from one character to another sowing the seeds of jealousy and unhappiness. The production is not one for prudish people; Bessie Barriscale's abbreviated costumes makes a very free exposure of the upper portion of her anatomy. But it is all artistically done and free from vulgarity. The moral is easily seen and it carries a lesson to those who are inclined to play with the fire. Particularly the latter scenes, which occur in the infernal regions and rival Dore's paintings in realism. This is a strong production, beautifully pictured. - The Moving Picture World, March 13, 1915

Morality play which is a far above average movie of its kind. Further, it is a 'thoroughbred', based on a play by Ferenc Molnar and adapted to the screen and directed by Thomas Ince. It is a tour-de-force for Thomas Connelly in the title role and virtually carries the picture; he is in nearly every scene.

He materializes in the parlor of an artist who is in the midst of an affair with his model. The Visitor entices the artist to leave his wife and take up with the model. He then visits the fiancé of the artist and tells her (as a good samaritan) what he has learned about her beau. Then he appears to the model (married to a respectable civic figure) and urges her to leave her husband.

Connelly is an arresting presence, with hair parted in the middle, the ends curled resembling horns. His shenanigans at a party at which the three principals are partygoers is a sheer delight, and is the highlight of the film. At the end of the film, morality rears its spoilsport head and he disappears.

One scene even has a blue-tinted effect as the devil appears to the model in her boudoir after the party. There are only one or two exterior shots, of people getting in and out of a car. This picture is very old but retains an up-to-date freshness and is unique in that it could hold the interest of modern audiences, in particular the work by Thomas Connelly in the title role. Viewed at Mostly Lost Weekend at the Library of Congress, 6/16/17