Hypocrites (found drama film; 1915)
Still from a surviving scene of the film.
Status: Partially Lost
Hypocrites is a 1915 silent film directed by the legendary female director Lois Weber. The film is notable for its use of religious imagery and innovative special effects.
The film proved to be quite controversial due its inclusion of nude scenes of actress Margaret Edwards (as the character The Naked Truth). The nudity was barely visible due to the film's double exposure, which gave her a ghostly appearance. This technique was revolutionary for its time, wowing many audience members.
While most of the film survives in a print held by The Library Of Congress, a few scenes from the beginning of the film suffered greatly from Silver Nitrate decomposition. About 2 or 3 minutes-worth of material is now considered non-restorable. The Library Of Congress has been putting forth a search for a complete copy, but for now, their slightly damaged copy is all that has survived.