| Merton of the Movies | |
|---|---|
 1924 movie poster | |
| Directed by | James Cruze |
| Written by | Walter Woods (scenario) |
| Based on | 1922 novel Merton of the Movies by
Harry Leon Wilson 1922 play by George S. Kaufman and Marc Connelly |
| Produced by |
Adolph Zukor Jesse Lasky |
| Starring |
Glenn Hunter Viola Dana |
| Cinematography | Karl Brown |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 80 minutes; 8 reels (7,655 feet) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
Merton of the Movies is a 1924 American comedy film directed by James Cruze, written by Walter Woods, and starring Glenn Hunter and Viola Dana. It is based on the George S. Kaufman and Marc Connelly 1922 play of the same name, which in turn was based on Harry Leon Wilson's novel, also titled Merton of the Movies. [1]
Glenn Hunter had originated the role of Merton Gill in the Broadway play and reprised his role in this film. Since the play had depended on funny dialogue, the movie (being silent) was opened up and a good deal of slapstick used instead. Thomas Hischak described the result as "uneven" although "Hunter still pleases and there are some droll performances by the supporting cast". [1]
The film is now considered a lost film. [2] It was remade in 1932 (as Make Me a Star) and again in 1947.
Plot
Merton is an aspiring movie actor. He is a terrible actor but when the movie executives see how funny his overacting is, they cast him in a comedy, but tell him that he's acting in a drama.
Cast
- Glenn Hunter as Merton Gill
- Charles Sellon as Pete Gashwiler
- Sadie Gordon as Mrs. Gaswiler
- Gale Henry as Tessie Kearns
- Luke Cosgrove as Lowell Hardy
- Viola Dana as Sally Montague or 'Flips'
- DeWitt Jennings as Jeff Baird
- Elliott Rothe as Harold Parmalee
- Charles Ogle as Mr. Montague
- Ethel Wales as Mrs. Montague
- Frank Jonasson as Henshaw
- Eleanor Lawson as Mrs. Patterson
See also
- List of lost films
- Hollywood (1923), a film about movies also directed by James Cruze and also a lost film
References
- ^ a b Hischak, Thomas S. (2012). American Literature on Stage and Screen: 525 Works and Their Adaptations. McFarland. p. 144. ISBN 978-0786468423. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
- ^ "Merton of the Movies". Silent Era. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
External links
- Merton of the Movies at IMDb
- Synopsis at AllMovie
- Merton of the Movies at the TCM Movie Database
- Merton of the Movies at the American Film Institute Catalog
- Viola Dana and Glenn Hunter
 | This article about a silent comedy film from the 1920s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- 1924 films
- 1924 comedy films
- American silent feature films
- Silent American comedy films
- American black-and-white films
- Films about actors
- Films about filmmaking
- Films about Hollywood, Los Angeles
- Films based on American novels
- American films based on plays
- Films directed by James Cruze
- Lost American comedy films
- Paramount Pictures films
- 1924 lost films
- 1920s American films
- 1920s English-language films
- English-language comedy films
- 1920s silent comedy film stubs