The Block Signal Explained

The Block Signal is 1926 American silent drama film directed by Frank O'Connor and starring Ralph Lewis, Jean Arthur, and Hugh Allan. It was produced by the independent company Gotham Pictures.^{[1] [2]}

Synopsis

A veteran railroad engineer discovers that his eyesight is failing and he is becoming colorblind. Bert Steele his fireman who craves promotion deliberately misleads him about a signal leading him to be demoted. Jealous and frustrated by his unrequited love for the engineer's daughter Grace, Steele considers a more direct form of sabotage.

Cast

• Ralph Lewis as 'Jovial Joe' Ryan
• Jean Arthur as Grace Ryan
• Hugh Allan as Jack Milford
• George Chesebro as Bert Steele
• Sidney Franklin as 'Roadhouse' Rosen
• Leon Holmes as 'Unhandy' Andy
• Missouri Royer as Jim Brennan

Preservation

Prints of The Block Signal are preserved at the UCLA Film and Television Archive and Academy Film Archive.^[3]

Bibliography

• Connelly, Robert B. The Silents: Silent Feature Films, 1910-36, Volume 40, Issue 2. December Press, 1998.
• Munden, Kenneth White. The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States, Part 1. University of California Press, 1997.

Notes and References

1. http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=2912 The AFI Catalog of Feature films: The Block Signal
2. http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/B/BlockSignal1926.html Progressive Silent Film List: The Block Signal
3. http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.mbrs.sfdb.3232/default.html The Library of Congress / FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: The Block Signal