At the Sign of the Jack O'Lantern

Last updated

At the Sign of the Jack O'Lantern
At the Sign of the Jack O'Lantern 1922 silent film.jpg
Still from film (April 1922)
Directed by Lloyd Ingraham
Screenplay byLloyd Ingraham
David Kirkland
Based onAt the Sign of the Jack O'Lantern
by Myrtle Reed
Produced byH. J. Reynolds
Starring Betty Ross Clarke
Earl Schenck
Wade Boteler
CinematographyRoss Fisher
Production
company
Renco Film Co.
Distributed by W. W. Hodkinson Corporation
Release date
  • January 22, 1922 (1922-01-22)
Running time
6 reels
CountryUnited States
Language Silent (English intertitles)

At the Sign of the Jack O'Lantern is a 1922 American silent comedy drama film directed by Lloyd Ingraham, who co-wrote the film adaption with David Kirkland. [1] It stars Betty Ross Clarke, Earl Schenck, and Wade Boteler. The film is today considered lost. [2]

Contents

The screenplay was based on the eponymous novel by Myrtle Reed, who also wrote cookbooks under the pen name Olivia Green and committed suicide in 1911. [3]

Synopsis

Harlan Carr and his wife are left $600 and a country home called "The Jack O'Lantern" in New England by his uncle's will. The will provides that a future legacy will come to him if he lives in the estate for six months. Carr and his wife take up residence in the home, where all kinds of ghostly events take place to frighten them out. A group of guests arrive who were all disinherited relatives to his uncle, and they try to take over. They quickly make life miserable for the couple, who tolerate them and their unpleasantness only out of fear of losing the legacy. At last Harlan loses all patience and orders them from the house. Then, unexpectedly, the family lawyer informs the Carrs that having done exactly as their uncle had wished they would, they will be rewarded with the remainder of their uncle's money. [4]

Cast

Reviews and reception

A review in Moving Picture World from January 1922, said that Ingraham "has given the screen an entertaining production". The review gave positive reviews for the acting, noting that it "goes a long way toward lending plausibility to a number of events which are somewhat amazing, but which, nevertheless, are not too far fetched to seem possible". [2] A review in The Film Daily from 1922, said the story was "built up with much detail and some amusing comedy...but lacks plot and drama". The review was positive about the direction of Ingraham, stating that he "keeps things moving and handles players well". [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

The following is an overview of 1922 in film, including significant events, a list of films released and notable births and deaths.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wade Boteler</span> American actor

Wade Boteler was an American film actor and writer. He appeared in more than 430 films between 1919 and 1943.

<i>Ridin Wild</i> (1922 film) 1922 film

Ridin' Wild is a 1922 American silent Western film directed by Nat Ross and featuring Hoot Gibson. It is not known whether the film currently survives, suggesting that it is a lost film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl Schenck</span> American actor

Earl O. Schenck was an American film actor. He appeared in 41 films between 1916 and 1946.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betty Ross Clarke</span> American actress

Betty Ross Clarke was an American stage and film actress. She appeared in more than 30 films between 1920 and 1940, including silent and sound films, in both credited and uncredited roles.

<i>Jack Straw</i> (1920 film) 1920 film by William C. deMille

Jack Straw is a 1920 American silent comedy film produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. William C. deMille directed the film and Robert Warwick and Carroll McComas star. The film is based on a 1908 stage play by W. Somerset Maugham starring John Drew and a young Mary Boland. Winston Churchill made a cameo appearance in the original film. In 1926 Paramount attempted a remake of this film called The Waiter from the Ritz which was begun and/or completed but never released. James Cruze directed and Raymond Griffith starred; this film, if completed, is now lost. The 1920 film survives at the Library of Congress.

<i>Partners Again</i> 1926 film by Henry King

Partners Again is a 1926 American silent comedy film that was produced by Samuel Goldwyn, released through United Artists, and directed by Henry King.

<i>Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch</i> (1919 film) 1919 film by Hugh Ford

Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch is a 1919 silent American comedy-drama film produced by Famous Players-Lasky Corporation and distributed through Paramount Pictures. Directed by Hugh Ford, the film stars Marguerite Clark and is based on the 1904 Broadway play by Anne Crawford Flexner, which itself is taken from the novel of the same name by Alice Hegan Rice.

<i>Ducks and Drakes</i> 1921 film

Ducks and Drakes is a 1921 American silent comedy film produced and released by Realart Pictures, an offshoot of Paramount Pictures. It was directed by stage producer/director Maurice Campbell and stars Bebe Daniels and Jack Holt. Elmer Harris provided the story and screenplay. A copy is held at the Library of Congress.

<i>Seven Keys to Baldpate</i> (1925 film) 1925 film by Fred C. Newmeyer

Seven Keys to Baldpate is a lost 1925 American silent comedy mystery film based on the 1913 mystery novel by Earl Derr Biggers and 1913 play by George M. Cohan. Previously made in Australia in 1916 and by Paramount in 1917, this version was produced by, and starred, Douglas MacLean and was directed by Fred C. Newmeyer. Out of seven film adaptations of the story made between 1916 and 1983, this version is the only one that is now considered lost. The story was remade again later in 1929, 1935, 1946, and 1947. It was also remade in 1983 under the title House of the Long Shadows, featuring John Carradine, Peter Cushing, Vincent Price, and Christopher Lee.

<i>Thats My Baby</i> (1926 film) 1926 film

That's My Baby is a 1926 American silent comedy film directed by William Beaudine. A surviving copy is preserved in a European archive, Paris.

<i>Lucky Carson</i> 1921 film by Wilfrid North

Lucky Carson is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by Wilfrid North. It features Earle Williams, Earl Schenck, Betty Ross Clarke, Gertrude Astor, Collette Forbes, James Butler, and Loyal Underwood in the lead roles.

<i>The Big Shot</i> (1931 film) 1931 American comedy film

The Big Shot is a 1931 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Ralph Murphy and Edward Sedgwick and written by Earl Baldwin, Hal Conklin, George Dromgold and Joseph Fields. The film stars Eddie Quillan, Maureen O'Sullivan, Mary Nolan, Roscoe Ates and Belle Bennett. It was released on December 18, 1931 by RKO Pictures.

<i>Lets Be Fashionable</i> 1920 film by Lloyd Ingraham

Let's Be Fashionable is a lost 1920 American silent comedy film directed by Lloyd Ingraham and written by Mildred Considine and Luther Reed. The film stars Douglas MacLean, Doris May, Wade Boteler, Grace Morse, George Webb, and Wilbur Higby. The film was released on June 13, 1920, by Paramount Pictures.

While Satan Sleeps is a 1922 American silent Western film directed by Joseph Henabery and written by Albert S. Le Vino based upon a story by Peter B. Kyne. It stars Jack Holt, Wade Boteler, Mabel Van Buren, Fritzi Brunette, Will Walling and J. P. Lockney. The film was released by Paramount Pictures on June 22, 1922. It is now considered lost.

Sporting Goods is a lost 1928 American comedy silent film directed by Malcolm St. Clair, written by George Marion Jr., Ray Harris and Thomas J. Crizer, and starring Richard Dix, Ford Sterling, Gertrude Olmstead, Philip Strange, Myrtle Stedman, Wade Boteler and Claude King. It was released on February 11, 1928, by Paramount Pictures.

<i>Just Married</i> (1928 film) 1928 film

Just Married is a 1928 American comedy silent film directed by Frank R. Strayer and written by Frank Butler, George Marion Jr., Adelaide Matthews, Anne Nichols and Gilbert Pratt. The film stars James Hall, Ruth Taylor, Harrison Ford, William Austin, Ivy Harris, Tom Ricketts and Maude Turner Gordon. The film was released on August 18, 1928, by Paramount Pictures.

Don't Shoot is a 1922 American silent crime film directed by Jack Conway and starring Herbert Rawlinson, Edna Murphy and Harvey Clark.

<i>Second Hand Rose</i> (film) 1922 film

Second Hand Rose is a 1922 American drama film directed by Lloyd Ingraham and written by A. P. Younger. The film stars Gladys Walton, George B. Williams, A. Edward Sutherland, Wade Boteler, Max Davidson, and Virginia Adair. The film was released on May 8, 1922, by Universal Film Manufacturing Company.

<i>Going Up</i> (film) 1923 film

Going Up is a 1923 American silent comedy film directed by Lloyd Ingraham and starring Douglas MacLean, Hallam Cooley and Marjorie Daw. It was based on a 1917 comedy Broadway play The Aviator.

References

  1. "At the Sign of the Jack O'Lantern(1922)". TCM. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  2. 1 2 John T. Soister; Henry Nicolella (2012). American Silent Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Feature Films, 1913–1929. McFarland. pp. 14–16. ISBN   978-0-7864-3581-4.
  3. Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 245. ISBN   978-1936168-68-2.
  4. "At the Sign of the Jack O'Lantern". American Film Institute. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  5. "Types and Situations Make Amusing Comedy". The Film Daily. January 1922. p. 9.