The Pursuit of the Phantom


The Pursuit of the Phantom is a 1914 American drama film written and directed by Hobart Bosworth. The film stars Hobart Bosworth, Rhea Haines, Helen Wolcott, Courtenay Foote and Myrtle Stedman. The film was released on September 1, 1914, by Paramount Pictures.

Plot

The story tells about a budding romance between an artist and a city girl that is severed when she abandons him for a wealthy millionaire’s yacht in pursuit of material happiness. Left heartbroken, the artist reflects on his loss while the film concludes with a symbolic, allegorical sequence comparing the two men's fates. This finale uses trick photography to reveal the millionaire's hollow success as a skeletal female figure, while the artist is shown to ultimately find true, lasting contentment.

Cast