James W. Parker interested in Cynthia Ann but rather in her uncle James who had searched for her for eight years after her abduction." Historians and film critics have speculated on the inspiration for the character of Ethan Edwards in the John Ford movie The Searchers, with many saying that the character was based on James Parker. Critics and historians noted that James W. Parker, Cynthia Ann's uncle, spent much of his life and fortune in what became an obsessive search for his niece, like Ethan Edwards in the film. In addition, the "rescue" of Cynthia Ann, during a Texas Ranger attack on
The Man Who Played God (1932 film) engagement, allowing her to follow her heart. Montgomery continues to act as a philanthropist, but his attitude is changed and his motives become altruistic. He draws closer to Mildred, who always has loved him, and the two find happiness in their developing relationship. Warners had made a silent version of "The Man Who Played God" in 1922, based on the 1914 play "The Silent Voice" by Jules Eckert Goodman, who adapted it from a story by Gouverneur Morris published in "Cosmopolitan" in 1912. For the 1932 film, a fresh adaptation was worked up by Julien Josephson and Maude T. Howell.