First Love is a 1921 American silent romantic comedy film produced by the Realart Pictures Corporation and distributed through the related Paramount Pictures. It stars Constance Binney and was directed by Maurice Campbell. Warner Baxter has one of his earliest screen portrayals here. Only the first reel of this film is known to survive at the Museum of Modern Art.[1][2]
First Love | |
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Directed by | Maurice Campbell |
Written by | Sonya Levien (story) Percy Heath Aubrey Staufer |
Produced by | Realart Pictures |
Starring | Constance Binney Warner Baxter |
Cinematography | H. Kinley Martin |
Production company | Realart Pictures Corporation |
Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 5 reels |
Country | United States |
Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
Plot
editAs described in a film magazine,[3] factory worker Kathleen O'Donnell (Binney) has fallen in love with ambulance driver Harry Stanton (Webb). After her father Tad O'Donnell (Hernandez), who knows Harry's true character, forbids him in the house, Kathleen leaves home and works overtime at the factory for funds for Harry to complete his medical education, a course of study which exists only in fiction. The efforts of her family and other employees to show her error lead her to quit her factory job and take a job as a waitress at a restaurant, where she sees him dining with his lady friends. Her discovery of his perfidy results in an attack on him that injures his sight. She later has a happy ending as the owner of the factory Donald Halliday (Baxter) has an interest in her.
Cast
edit- Constance Binney as Kathleen O'Donnell
- Warner Baxter as Donald Halliday
- George Webb as Harry Stanton
- Betty Schade as Yvette De Vonne
- George Hernandez as Tad O'Donnell
- Fanny Midgley as Mrs. O'Donnell (credited as Fannie Midgley)
- Edward Jobson as Peter Holliday
- Agnes Adams as Icecream-cone Girl
- Maxine Elliott Hicks as Speeder
- Dorothy Gordon as Elsie Edwards
Summary in stills
editThe December 24, 1921 issue of Exhibitors Herald illustrated the plot of First Love using a series of twenty numbered stills presented without any explanatory captions.[4] The order of the stills may altered from that of the film since stills 10 and 16 appear to be from the same scene (the apron may indicate that these are from when she was working as a waitress at a restaurant) and 9 and 19 show Binney sitting with the same hair style.
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Still 1
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Still 2
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Still 3
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Still 4
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Still 5
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Still 6
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Still 7
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Still 8
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Still 9
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Still 10
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Still 11
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Still 12
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Still 13
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Still 14
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Still 15
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Still 16
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Still 17
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Still 18
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Still 19
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Still 20
References
edit- ^ Anthony Slide, Silent Players: A Biographical and Autobiographical Study of 100 Silent Film Actors and Actresses; pp. 21-24 c.2002
- ^ The American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films: 1921-30 by The American Film Institute, c.1971
- ^ "Reviews: First Love". Exhibitors Herald. 13 (22). New York City: Exhibitors Herald Company: 52. November 26, 1921.
- ^ "Life's Promenade: A Processional for First Love". Exhibitors Herald. 13 (26). New York City: Exhibitors Herald Company: 94–95. December 24, 1921.
External links
edit- First Love at IMDb
- Synopsis at AllMovie