Three Who Paid

Three Who Paid is a lost^[9] 1923 American silent Western film^[8] directed by Colin Campbell,^[2][8] and starring Dustin Farnum, with Bessie Love and Frank Campeau.^[10] The film was based on the 1922 short story by George Owen Baxter,^[3][11][12] and was produced and distributed through Fox Film.^[2][8]

Three Who Paid
Lobby card
Directed by	Colin Campbell William A. Wellman (assistant director)[1]
Screenplay by	Joseph F. Poland[2]
Based on	The Range-Land Avenger (short story) by George Owen Baxter[a]
Starring	Dustin Farnum Bessie Love Frank Campeau
Cinematography	Don Short[2]
Production company	Fox Film[2][8]
Distributed by	Fox Film[8]
Release date	January 7, 1923 (1923-01-07) (U.S.)[8]
Running time	5 reels[8]
Country	United States
Language	Silent (English intertitles)

Plot

Riley Sinclair (Farnum) seeks to avenge the death of his brother, whose three companions – Quade, Sanderson, and Lowrie – left him to die in the desert. Two of the three men die, and the third is spared so that he can confess to the crime. Sinclair helps John Caspar (Love), a schoolteacher, who is actually a rich young woman who is trying to get away from her opportunist husband. When her identity is revealed, she and Sinclair fall in love.^{[12][13][14][15]}

Cast

• Dustin Farnum as Riley Sinclair^[2]
• Bessie Love as Virginia Cartright / John Caspar
• Fred Kohler as Jim Quade
• Frank Campeau as Ed Sanderson
• Robert Daly as Sam Lowrie
• William Conklin as Jude Cartright
• Robert Agnew as Hal Sinclair

Production

In November 1922, scenes were filmed in San Juan Canyon in Orange County, California.^[16][17] Production was delayed when Bessie Love, who was responsible for her own wardrobe, forgot to bring spirit gum to hold her wig, the prop man gave her LePage's glue, which adhered the wig to her head.^[18]

Release and reception

The film was "a first rate production",^[2] but had issues. For the parts of the film when her character is masquerading as a man, Bessie Love was deemed unconvincing.^[2] Overall, the film received mixed reviews.^[19][20][21]

On its release, some theaters showed the film with the Baby Peggy short Nobody's Darling.^[10]

Preservation

With no holdings located in archives, Three Who Paid is considered a lost film.^[9]