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The Cruise of the Make-Believes

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The Cruise of the Make-Believes
Still with Lee and Aitken
Directed byGeorge Melford
Written byEdith Kennedy (scenario)
Based onThe Cruise of the Make-Believes
by Tom Gallon
Produced byAdolph Zukor
Jesse Lasky
StarringLila Lee
Harrison Ford
CinematographyPaul Perry
Production
company
Famous Players–Lasky Corporation
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • September 1, 1918 (1918-09-01)
Running time
5 reels
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)
Scene from The Cruise of the Make-Believes featuring Lila Lee

The Cruise of the Make-Believes is a 1918 American silent drama film starring Lila Lee in her first motion picture. It was directed by George Melford and is based on a 1907 novel of the same name by Tom Gallon. Famous Players–Lasky produced and Paramount Pictures released.[1]

The film was released at the height of the 1918 flu pandemic.

Plot

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As described in a film magazine,[2] Bessie Meggison lives in the slums with her drunken father Daniel Meggison and presides over a boarding house. Gilbert Byfield, a wealthy youth who is writing a book, lives nearby in a cheap room. He becomes acquainted with Bessie and together they sail on many imaginary voyages on an improvised yacht in her back yard. Gilbert gives her father permission to take Bessie to his estate in the country for a month's vacation. Daniel Meggison invites his slum friends and drinks to his heart's content while Bessie entertains dozens of urchins. Gilbert returns and learns that Meggison has told Bessie that the estate belongs to him. Gilbert is also confronted by his fiance, and Bessie realizes that all of her family wealth is a sham. Heartbroken, she returns to her slum home. Gilbert finds her on the make believe ship and promises her that her dream of riches will come true.

Cast

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Preservation

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With no prints of The Cruise of the Make-Believes located in any film archives,[3] it is a lost film.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ The AFI Catalog of Feature Films: The Cruise of the Make-Believes AFI Catalog of Feature Films Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  2. ^ "Reviews: The Cruise of the Make-Believes". Exhibitors Herald. Vol. 7, no. 13. September 21, 1918. p. 35. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ The Library of Congress / FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: The Cruise of the Make-Believes. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
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