Wallace Worsley

Directing

Wallace Worsley

Born 1878-12-07 · Wappingers Falls, New York, USA

Wallace Ashley Worsley (8 December 1878 – 26 March 1944) was an American stage actor who became a film director in the silent era. Worsley directed 29 films during the years 1918-1928 and acted in 7 films. He directed several films starring Lon Chaney Sr. and his professional relationship with the actor was the best Chaney had second to his partnership with Tod Browning. "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1923) is one of his best known works and, along with "The Penalty" (1920), enjoys good exposure on home video and DVD. Worsley's 1922 horror film "A Blind Bargain" with Chaney is one of the most sought-after lost films. Worsley was married to actress Julia Marie Taylor with whom he had two sons, Paul Brackenride Worsley and Wallace Worsley Jr., the latter a production manager and assistant director.

Acting credits

No artwork available
NR

In Belgium, at the outbreak of the war, Russian agent Olga Raminoff shoots at a German general when the enemy enters town. Ray Bourke, an American traveler, gives her the protection of his name, but nevertheless both are sentenced to death. They are rescued by an allied rescue plane and later, bound for home, Ray meets an old college friend, Curt Schreiber, who is in the service of the German government. Schreiber has important papers to be delivered to Washington and, knowing that he will be searched on board ship, gives them to Ray. Olga beseeches Ray to give the papers up for her sake, but his word to Schreiber is sacred. Nearing America, Ray tells her that he will make an effort to return the papers if she will marry him.

Paws of the Bear

1917

A Man's Man poster
NR

John Stuart Webster, mining engineer, having accumulated a fortune in Death Valley, Calif., starts for Denver. On the train is Dolores Ruey, a beautiful Spanish girl reared in the United States. Webster thrashes a travelling salesman who has been forcing his attentions on Dolores and thereby gains her admiration. Upon his arrival in Denver he leaves for Sobrante, Central America, to finance a mine found by his former protege, Billy Geary. Dolores is also bound for Sobrante. Her father, Don Ricardo Ruey, had been President of the Republic, until he was killed by revolutionists. They board the same train but Webster is seized with ptomaine poisoning and is removed to a hospital. Dolores is met by Billy Geary, who falls desperately in love with her. When he arrives. Webster does everything to give Geary a clear field, but after he has put Dolores' brother in the place his father held, he finds he has not only won a revolution, but a wife.

A Man's Man

1917

The Turn of a Card poster
NR

When he strikes it rich in Oklahoma oil fields, Jimmie Farrell is talked into risking everything in a card game against notorious gambler "Ace High" Burdette. To everyone's surprise, Burdette loses HIS fortune to Jimmie, including his estate in Long Island, NY. Stunned, Burdette wanders aimlessly through a forest and trips over a rock, sustaining a head injury. A feeble-minded local named "Curio" Johnson finds Burdette and takes him to his cabin, for some company. Meanwhile, Jimmie--under the impression that a depressed Burdette has killed himself--goes to New York to inspect his new "estate" and meets Burdette's daughter, Cynthia. The girl, however, mistakes him for a new chauffeur. Complications ensue.

The Turn of a Card

1918

Alimony poster
NR

Bernice Bristol Flint, an attractive grass widow (a woman divorced or separated from her husband), associates herself intimately with a number of divorce attorneys who live well on their percentage from unscrupulously secured divorces carrying a large alimony.

Alimony

1917

Borrowed Plumage poster
7.0

The Earl of Selkirk and his family learn of the impending arrival of American pirate John Paul Jones, they flee their castle, leaving behind Nora, the kitchen maid. Left alone in the house, Nora dons the clothes of her mistress and parades herself about the castle until the arrival of the king's light infantry. Because they mistake her for the lady of the house, she invites them to be her guests.

Borrowed Plumage

1917

Behind the camera

The Hunchback of Notre Dame poster
6.5

In 15th century France, a gypsy girl is framed for murder by the infatuated Chief Justice, and only the deformed bellringer of Notre Dame Cathedral can save her.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

1923

Enter Madame poster
7.0

Directed by Wallace Worsley.

Enter Madame

1922

Wedlock poster
NR

Unknown to his proud and wealthy family, Granger Hollister marries Margery Harding, a telephone operator. Granger presents his new wife at an engagement party given for his sister Jane, but Jane's fiance, Lord Cecil Graydon, threatens to break off the betrothal unless Granger's marriage is annulled. To please his sister, Granger sacrifices Margery, who seeks work and later gives birth to a child. Following the baby's death, Margery goes West, where she befriends an old miner who later leaves her his fortune. Meanwhile, Granger becomes involved in a fraudulent mining deal, and because of George Osborne's perjured testimony, he is sent to prison for five years. When he escapes, Margery agrees to hide him and is ultimately responsible for obtaining his pardon. Granger then remarries the wife he once abandoned.

Wedlock

1918

The Penalty poster
6.9

Blizzard, deranged from a childhood operation in which both his legs were needlessly amputated after an accident, becomes a vicious criminal, and eventually mob leader of the San Francisco underworld.

The Penalty

1920

Adele poster
NR

Adele Bleneau is a young nurse who assists her father, a renowned surgeon/. While in Washington, DC, she meets and falls in love with a British army officer, Capt. Fraser. While traveling by ship to France with her father, she meets Count von Schulling, a German diplomat who is an acquaintance of her father. Von Schulling falls for the pretty young Adele. While in France, Adele organizes a rescue party to save Capt. Fraser, who has been on a secret mission behind enemy lines and has been wounded. In a twist of fate, Adele finds the wounded Fraser and takes him to a hospital, but Count von Schuling, who has also been wounded, is placed in the same room as Fraser. When the hospital is overrun by German forces, Adele is placed in a delicate position by von Sculling: either spy for the Germans or Fraser will be shot.

Adele

1919

An Alien Enemy poster
7.0

Neysa von Igel, who is living with her supposed grandfather, Adolph Schmidt, loves America, although she believes herself to be German-born. Unknown to Neysa, when she was three years old, her father and mother, both American-born, were killed in Germany by Emil Koenig, who, in punishment, was sent to the United States to work in the interest of the government of the Fatherland, and who is now associated with Schmidt in his manufacturing enterprise. Koenig demands that Neysa work in behalf of Germany. She revolts and escapes to the home of David Hale, who had been her grandfather's attorney, but who is now in the service of the United States Government. Hale and Neysa are married and depart for France, where the girl again encounters Koenig, and, after many thrilling adventures, she kills him in self-defense.

An Alien Enemy

1918

Is Divorce a Failure? poster
8.0

Directed by Wallace Worsley.

Is Divorce a Failure?

1923

The Man Who Fights Alone poster
8.0

John Marble, a construction engineer is stricken by paralysis and begins to envision the growth of love between his wife Marion and his best friend, Bob Alten. Bent on suicide, however, the shock of seeing his wife and child endangered on a broken bridge shakes him to recover from his illness and discover that his suspicions were all imaginary.

The Man Who Fights Alone

1924

Playthings of Passion poster
10.0

Helen Rowland is indifferent towards her wealthy husband Henry and spends most of her time at social events. Henry agrees to give financial assistance to young clergyman John Sterling if Helen can become interested in Sterling's work in the slums.

Playthings of Passion

1919

Honor's Cross poster
9.0

Directed by Wallace Worsley.

Honor's Cross

1918

The Street Called Straight poster
9.0

Directed by Wallace Worsley.

The Street Called Straight

1920

Diane of the Green Van poster
9.0

An heiress takes a road trip in a green van. Unbeknownst to her, she has four pursuers.

Diane of the Green Van

1919

The Beautiful Liar poster
10.0

Directed by Wallace Worsley.

The Beautiful Liar

1921

The Goddess of Lost Lake poster
NR

Mary Thorne is the quarter-breed daughter of prospector Marshall Thorne. She has just returned from college and when a pair of hunters, Mark Hamilton and Chester Martin, come along, she decides it would be fun to dress in native garb and fool them. Both men find themselves attracted to her, even though Indians were taboo for whites in the racist days of the 1910s.

The Goddess of Lost Lake

1918

Rags to Riches poster
10.0

A rich young boy has to prove his worth to the gang he has just joined by during all sorts of hardships, including a kidnap attempt, before they'll accept him.

Rags to Riches

1922

A Law Unto Herself poster
9.0

The daughter of a wealthy French vintner, Justine is promised in marriage to German aristocrat Kurt Von Klassner, even though her heart belongs to Bertrand Duroc, the humble overseer of her father's estate. His pride wounded, Von Klassner murders Duroc and shifts the blame to marauding poachers.

A Law Unto Herself

1918

The Power of Silence poster
10.0

Would An Innocent Woman Keep Silent? Would the fear of a murderer's death shake her from the Sphinx-like silence that shielded- who?

The Power of Silence

1928

A Woman of Pleasure poster
8.0

Alice Dane, a struggling English schoolteacher, is swept into a dangerous and complex marriage with Sir John Turnbull after witnessing a crime. Taken to South Africa amidst a Zulu uprising, she faces danger and betrayal, forcing her to navigate survival and complex relationships in a tense, life-altering situation.

A Woman of Pleasure

1919

Social Ambition poster
10.0

Directed by Wallace Worsley.

Social Ambition

1918

Voices of the City poster
7.0

When taken to a San Francisco cafe by her sweetheart Jimmy, Georgia Rodman witnesses the shooting of a policeman by an underworld gang. The owner, O'Rourke, whom Jimmy believes to be his friend, sends one of his men to their table to inquire about Georgia, and after he shoots the policeman, Georgia and Jimmy are held for questioning. As a result, Georgia is turned out of her home, and O'Rourke gives the couple a room in his hotel. Assistant District Attorney Steven Graham links the missing couple with O'Rourke's activities and collects evidence against him. O'Rourke plans to bribe Graham and have Jimmy shot on the night of his annual ball, and Sally, O'Rourke's ex-mistress, learning of the plan, turns against him and informs Georgia; finding Jimmy wounded, Georgia seeks revenge at the ball, but Sally shoots O'Rourke. Georgia is reunited with her family and Jimmy, while Graham finds happiness with her sister Mary. It is considered to be a lost film.

Voices of the City

1921

The Highest Bidder poster
10.0

Society miss Sally Raeburn is left penniless and is helped out by an older woman. The woman makes it clear that to repay her, Sally must marry wealth, so when the very well-heeled Lester comes to her village, Sally goes after him. Lester has been traveling incognito in the hopes that no one will discover him, so when Sally wins him she feels guilty and confesses that she knew who he was all along.

The Highest Bidder

1921

The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come poster
10.0

An orphan boy from the Kentucky hills joins the Union Army and rescues his adopted family from Morgan's raiders. He learns his real identity when he returns after the war.

The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come

1920

Nobody's Money poster
8.0

Two newspapermen who wrote a successful book using a phony author have to come up with a real person when the book is a huge success. Ailing literary agent Jack Holt takes the job while his safe cracking friend tags along for the ride. Jack falls in love with the Governor's daughter just as the Governor is about to be blackmailed by the evil Drisco, who has planted $20,000 in the Governor's safe.

Nobody's Money

1923

A Blind Bargain poster
8.0

Chaney plays two roles: mad scientist Arthur Lamb and Lamb's "experiment", known only as the Ape Man. This hideous creature was the result of Lamb's attempts to transplant animal glands into human beings. A lost film.

A Blind Bargain

1922