Reviews of silent film releases on home video. Copyright © 1999-2024 by Carl Bennett and the Silent Era Company. All Rights Reserved.

The Ace of Hearts (1921)

A secret organization is working in America at plotting the deaths of capitalist leaders. To assign the task of assassination, the group members draw playing cards until one receives the ace of hearts. Within the organization, two members vie for the affections of the group’s only female agent, Lilith (Leatrice Joy).

Mr. Forrest (John Bowers) has the luck of the draw to assassinate their latest target, and on a whim of dedication to the cause Lilith agrees to marry him. Mr. Farallone (Lon Chaney), also in love with Lilith objects to her impulsiveness. To his horror, she goes through with the marriage.

On the morning after, a lovestruck Lilith attempts to convince Forrest not to go through with the plot. Unswayed, he leaves to complete his duty. Lilith then goes to Farallone to persuade him to intercede, and he presses her into an unsavory agreement. But love has not only transformed the hearts of Lilith and Forrest but that too of Farallone.

The acting in The Ace of Hearts is melodramatic on Chaney’s part but befitting the role, and the direction good on Wallace Worsley’s part. While it has its moments of card-turning suspense, the film nets out to be a slightly above-average love story programmer.

— Carl Bennett

Supplemental material includes the Photoplay Productions documentary Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces (2000); Rick Schmidlin’s lame 2002 photo reconstruction of the lost film London After Midnight (1927); audio commentaries by Chaney biographer Michael F. Blake; an introduction by TCM host Robert Osborne; and photo and memorabilia galleries.

This is our current recommended home video edition of the film.

USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

This DVD edition is presented from a full-frame video transfer of a very-good 35mm print with excellent image detail, which is highly scuffed from reel two onward. The print also has the odd vertical emusion scratch and some frame jitters. The transfer is generously framed to allow all of the intertitles to be readable. Some of the intertitles have been restored from flash titles in the source print or from intertitles transferred from a lower-quality print. Overall, the print appears to be largely complete and remains watchable despite its wear.

The accompanying music score is a serviceable composition by Turner Classic Movies’ Young Film Composers competition winner Vivek Maddala, performed on synthesizers with some overdubs by a small acoustic string ensemble. A brief documentary on the score’s creation is included in the supplemental section for the film. Also included is a still gallery, and an informative and informal audio commentary by Chaney biographer Michael F. Blake.

USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 1 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 1 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
United Kingdom: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 1 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.co.uk. Support Silent Era.
This Region 1 NTSC DVD edition has been discontinued and is . . .

The film is likely accompanied by a compiled music score of preexisting recordings.

Not recommended.

This Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is available directly from . . .

The film is accompanied by a music score performed on piano by Keith Taylor.

NOSTALGIA FAMILY VIDEO has discontinued business and this DVD-R edition is . . .

Other CRIME FILMS of the silent era available on home video.