The Wise Guy is a 1926 American silent crime drama film produced and directed by Frank Lloyd and distributed through First National Pictures. Jules Furthman provided a screen story with scenario by Adela Rogers St. Johns. Mary Astor, James Kirkwood, and Betty Compson star.[1]
| The Wise Guy | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Frank Lloyd |
| Written by | Adela Rogers St. Johns (adaptation) Ada McQuillan (scenario) George Marion, Jr. (intertitles) |
| Story by | Jules Furthman |
| Produced by | Frank Lloyd |
| Starring | Mary Astor James Kirkwood Betty Compson |
| Cinematography | Norbert Brodine |
| Distributed by | First National Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 8 reels (7,775 feet) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
Plot
editThis article needs a plot summary. (January 2024) |
Cast
edit- James Kirkwood as Guy Watson
- Mary Astor as Mary
- Betty Compson as Hula Kate
- George F. Marion as Horace Palmer
- Mary Carr as Ma Palmer
- George Cooper as The Bozo
Reception
editBecause the Kirkwood character was a criminal posing as an evangelistic minister who performs marriage and burial ceremonies, the film was found by the New York Board of Censors to be sacrilegious and banned from distribution unless remade. The Board was also concerned by the number of times the name of the Deity appeared in subtitles spoken by the fake minister. First National estimated the cost of resolving the Board's issues to be an additional $50,000 above the initial cost of $175,000.[2]
Preservation
editPreviously considered lost, a print of The Wise Guy is preserved at the National Archives of Canada.[3][4]
References
edit- ^ Progressive Silent Film List: The Wise Guy at silentera.com
- ^ "1st Nat'l's Wise Guy Ordered Off by N.Y. State Censors - Cost $175,000", Variety, 83 (5): 4, June 2, 1926, retrieved April 29, 2022
- ^ The Wise Guy at Arne Andersen's Lost Film Files: First National Pictures - 1926 Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: The Wise Guy
External links
edit
- The Wise Guy at IMDb
- Synopsis at AllMovie
- Lobby card at gettyimages.com
- Still at silentfilmstillarchive.com
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