The Age of Innocence (1924 film)

The Age of Innocence
The Age of Innocence
	Wedding scene from the film
Directed by	Wesley Ruggles
Screenplay by	Olga Printzlau
Based on	The Age of Innocence ; (1920 novel); by Edith Wharton
Starring	Beverly Bayne ; Elliott Dexter ; Edith Roberts ; Willard Louis
Production; company	Warner Bros.
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date	November 1, 1924;
Running time	7 reels
Country	United States
Languages	Silent ; English intertitles

The Age of Innocence is a 1924 American silent film directed by Wesley Ruggles. It is the first film adaptation of Edith Wharton's 1920 novel The Age of Innocence. It was produced and distributed by Warner Brothers.^[1]

Plot

Newland Archer is engaged to May Mingott of a prominent New York family. Shortly after the engagement is announced, Newland finds himself attracted to May's older married cousin Countess Ellen Olenska. After his marriage to May, Newland and Ellen agree to run away together. Before this can happen, May visits her husband's lover and informs her that she is expecting a child. Ellen and Newland part ways, Newland vowing to be a better husband to his wife May.

Cast

Beverly Bayne as Countess Ellen Olanska
Edith Roberts as May Mingott
Elliott Dexter as Newland Archer
Willard Louis as Cornelius Beaufort
Fred Huntley
Gertrude Norman
Sigrid Holmquist

Preservation status

This film is now lost.^[2]^[3] In February 1956, Jack Warner sold the rights to all of his pre-December 1949 films to Associated Artists Productions. In 1969, UA donated 16mm prints of some Warner Bros. films from outside United States. No copies of The Age of Innocence are known to exist.

Legacy

In 1928, Margaret Ayer Barnes adapted the novel into a play, first produced on Broadway, starring Katharine Cornell as Countess Ellen Olenska.
In 1934 an adaptation of the novel was directed by Philip Moeller. It was released by RKO Radio Pictures and stars Irene Dunne as Countess Ellen Olenska, John Boles as Newland Archer, Julie Haydon as May Welland Archer, Lionel Atwill, and Helen Westley.
In 1993 an adaptation of the novel was directed by Martin Scorsese. It was released by Columbia Pictures and stars Michelle Pfeiffer as Countess Ellen Olenska, Daniel Day-Lewis as Newland Archer, Winona Ryder as May Welland Archer, Richard E. Grant, and Miriam Margolyes. Ryder won a Golden Globe Award for her portrayal of May Welland Archer, and the film won an Oscar for costume design.

References

^ "The AFI Catalog of Feature Film: The Age of Innocence". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
^ Marshall, Scott. "Edith Wharton on Film and Television: A History and Filmography." Edith Wharton Review (1996): 15-25. Washington State University. Jan. 15, 2009
^ "The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: The Age Of Innocence". memory.loc.gov. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2025.

External links

The Age of Innocence at IMDb
The Age of Innocence at the TCM Movie Database
The Age of Innocence at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films

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[1] "The AFI Catalog of Feature Film: The Age of Innocence". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved September 5, 2025.

[2] Marshall, Scott. "Edith Wharton on Film and Television: A History and Filmography." Edith Wharton Review (1996): 15-25. Washington State University. Jan. 15, 2009

[3] "The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: The Age Of Innocence". memory.loc.gov. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2025.

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