The Family Secret (1924) : distribution, intrigue et streaming

Released in 1924, The Family Secret is a comédie, drame and policier film directed by William A. Seiter, running about 70 minutes.

What it’s about. Early film adaptation of a popular 19th century melodrama. The daughter of a wealthy man secretly marries a man below her station—one whom her father violently disapproves of. The father, in an excess of parental concern, separates the lovers by sending his daughter away so that she might forget her lover, unaware of their married state. During this time, she gives birth to a daughter. After some months, the young mother returns to her family manor and presents her father with his new granddaughter, which causes a most unfortunate scene. Unbeknownst to the young woman, her enraged father falsely accuses his son-in-law of theft and has him incarcerated in order to separate the lovers in an irrational attempt to force his daughter to forget this "unworthy" young man.

Who’s in it. The Family Secret stars Baby Peggy as Peggy Holmes, Gladys Hulette as Margaret Selfridge, Frank Currier as Simon Selfridge and Lucy Beaumont as Miss Abigail Selfridge, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.9/10, The Family Secret has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Family Secret page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Family Secret tend to enjoy Forrest Gump, Parasite, La vie est belle and Fight Club.