St. Elmo is a 1914 American silent drama film produced by the Balboa Amusement Producing Company and distributed by William Fox's Box Office Attractions Company. It was the first feature-length film adaptation of Augusta Jane Evans's 1866 novel of the same name. The story follows the life of the title character, who kills his cousin over the love of Agnes, falls from grace, and eventually finds redemption and love with Edna. It is disputed who directed the film; many sources credit Bertram Bracken, while others list St. Elmo as J. Gordon Edwards's directorial debut.
Theatrical release poster
St. Elmo (Jossey) has killed his cousin (McDonald) as others look on. This scene was censored for Chicago showings.
St. Elmo shares a drink with the Devil, with Murray's body in a coffin between them. This scene was also censored in Chicago.
St. Elmo is a novel by American author Augusta Jane Evans published in 1866. Featuring the sexual tension between the protagonist St. Elmo, a cynical man, and the heroine Edna Earl, a beautiful and devout girl, the novel was about the agency of women who could save men from apostasy. The novel became one of the most popular novels of the 19th century. The novel sold a million copies within four months of its publication.
Augusta Jane Evans.
A frame from the lost film St. Elmo (1914), based on the novel by Augusta Jane Evans.