Old English (film)

Last updated

Old English
Old English 1930 Poster.jpg
Directed by Alfred E. Green
Maude T. Howell (asst., uncredited)
Written by Walter Anthony
Maude T. Howell
Based onThe play by John Galsworthy
Starring George Arliss
Leon Janney
Betty Lawford
Doris Lloyd
Cinematography James Van Trees
Edited by Owen Marks
Music by Erno Rapee
Louis Silvers
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.
Release date
  • September 27, 1930 (1930-09-27)(United States)
Running time
85 mins.
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Old English is a 1930 American pre-Code drama film directed by Alfred E. Green and produced by Warner Bros. The film is based on the 1924 West End play of the same name by John Galsworthy. The film stars George Arliss, Leon Janney, Betty Lawford and Doris Lloyd. [1] The film had its premiere August 21, 1930 at the Warner's Theatre in Hollywood. [2]

Contents

Plot

Heythorp is an old shipowner who finds himself on the verge of bankruptcy. He worries about his grandchildren, who are currently being taken care of by the miserly Mrs. Larne, the widowed wife of his son. She asks Heythorp for money, but suspecting that she will use the money on herself, he refuses. Although Heythorp is being hounded by creditors, he manages to get a loan by using some shady dealings for which he may be prosecuted. Heythorp wants to use the money for an investment, which will provide an independent allowance for his beloved grandchildren, Jock and Phyllis, which the greedy Mrs. Larne cannot touch. Although he manages to arrange everything so that he can die in peace, he is uncovered and threatened with exposure. In the end, Heythorp manages to escape punishment for his underhanded scheme.

Cast

Preservation

The film survives complete and has been released by the Warner Archive on DVD. A print is preserved in the Library of Congress collection. [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Disraeli</i> (1929 film) 1929 film

Disraeli is a 1929 American pre-Code historical film directed by Alfred E. Green, released by Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc., and adapted by Julien Josephson (screenplay) and De Leon Anthony (titles) from the 1911 play Disraeli by Louis N. Parker.

<i>The Green Goddess</i> (1930 film) 1930 film

The Green Goddess is a 1930 American pre-Code film directed by Alfred E. Green. It was a remake of the 1923 silent film, which was in turn based on the play of the same name by William Archer. It was produced by Warner Bros. using their new Vitaphone sound system, and adapted by Julien Josephson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bebe Daniels</span> American actress, singer, dancer, writer, producer (1901–1971)

Phyllis Virginia "Bebe" Daniels was an American actress, singer, dancer, writer, and producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Lawford</span> British actor (1923–1984)

Peter Sydney Ernest Lawford was an English-American actor.

<i>The Man Who Played God</i> (1932 film) 1932 film

The Man Who Played God is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film produced by Darryl F. Zanuck and directed by John G. Adolfi. George Arliss stars as a concert pianist embittered by the loss of his hearing, who eventually finds redemption by helping others; it also features a then little-known Bette Davis as the much younger woman engaged to the protagonist.

<i>Fathers Son</i> (1931 film) 1931 film

Father's Son is a 1931 American pre-Code melodrama film which was produced by Warner Bros. in 1930 and released early in 1931. The movie is based on the original film scenario Old Fathers and Young Sons by Booth Tarkington. The film is also known by the name "Boy of Mine."

<i>Voltaire</i> (film) 1933 American biographical film

Voltaire is a 1933 American pre-Code biographical film directed by John G. Adolfi and starring George Arliss as Voltaire, an 18th-century French writer and philosopher.

<i>Long Lost Father</i> 1934 film by Ernest B. Schoedsack

Long Lost Father is a 1934 American pre-Code drama film starring John Barrymore, Helen Chandler, Donald Cook, Alan Mowbray, and Doris Lloyd. It was directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack. It was based on a 1933 novel of the same title by the British writer Gladys Stern.

<i>Stolen Holiday</i> 1937 film by Michael Curtiz

Stolen Holiday is a 1937 American romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Kay Francis, Claude Rains and Ian Hunter. It is loosely based on the Stavisky Affair, a French political scandal. A Russian con artist worms his way into the upper reaches of French society, but is finally exposed, with tragic consequences.

<i>Alexander Hamilton</i> (film) 1931 American biographical film directed by John G. Adolfi

Alexander Hamilton is a 1931 American pre-Code biographical film about Alexander Hamilton, produced and distributed by Warner Bros. and based on the 1917 play Hamilton by George Arliss and Mary Hamlin. It was directed by John G. Adolfi and stars Arliss in the title role. It follows the attempts of Hamilton to establish a new financial structure for the United States following the Confederation Period and the establishment of a new Constitution in 1787. It is preserved at the Library of Congress.

<i>The Truth About Youth</i> 1930 film

The Truth About Youth is a 1930 American pre-Code drama with songs produced and distributed by First National Pictures, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Directed by William A. Seiter, the film stars Loretta Young, Conway Tearle, David Manners and Myrna Loy. It was based on the 1900 play When We Were Twenty-One, written by Henry V. Esmond.

<i>The Doorway to Hell</i> 1930 film

The Doorway to Hell is a 1930 American pre-Code crime film directed by Archie Mayo and starring Lew Ayres and James Cagney in his second film role. The film was based on the story A Handful of Clouds, written by Rowland Brown. The film's title was typical of the sensationalistic titles of many Pre-Code films. It was marketed with the tagline "The picture Gangland defied Hollywood to make!"

<i>Loose Ankles</i> 1930 film by Ted Wilde

Loose Ankles is a 1930 pre-Code romantic comedy with songs, produced and released by First National Pictures, which had become a subsidiary of Warner Bros. The film was directed by Ted Wilde and stars Loretta Young, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Louise Fazenda and Edward Nugent. It was a remake of the 1926 silent film titled Ladies at Play, which had been produced by First National Pictures. Both versions were adapted by Gene Towne from the 1926 play Loose Ankles by Sam Janney. Sam Janney was to direct the film but died in a car crash during production.

<i>The Caveman</i> (1926 film) 1926 film

The Caveman, also styled as The Cave Man, is a 1926 American silent comedy film produced and distributed by Warner Bros. Lewis Milestone directed the Darryl Zanuck scripted story taken from the play The Cave Man by Gelett Burgess. Matt Moore, Marie Prevost, and Hedda Hopper star. A small role is played by a young Myrna Loy, who was just starting out in her long career.

<i>Those Who Dance</i> 1930 film by William Beaudine

Those Who Dance is a 1930 American Pre-Code crime film produced and distributed by Warner Bros., directed by William Beaudine, and starring Monte Blue, Lila Lee, William "Stage" Boyd and Betty Compson. It is a remake of the 1924 silent film Those Who Dance starring Bessie Love and Blanche Sweet. The story, written by George Kibbe Turner, was based on events that occurred among gangsters in Chicago.

<i>Wide Open</i> (film) 1930 film

Wide Open is a 1930 American pre-Code romantic comedy film directed by Archie Mayo, starring Edward Everett Horton and Patsy Ruth Miller, and featuring Louise Fazenda, T. Roy Barnes and Edna Murphy. Released by Warner Bros., it is based on the 1924 novel The Narrow Street by Edward Bateman Morris.

<i>Penrod and Sam</i> (1931 film) 1931 film

Penrod and Sam is a 1931 American pre-Code comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring Leon Janney and Frank Coghlan Jr. It is an adaptation of the novel Penrod and Sam by Booth Tarkington. Beaudine had previously directed a 1923 silent version, and was invited to remake his earlier success.

Christine of the Big Tops is a 1926 American silent romantic drama film starring Pauline Garon and Cullen Landis. It is one of the first films of the prolific Warner's director Archie Mayo.

<i>Three-Ring Marriage</i> 1928 film by Marshall Neilan

Three-Ring Marriage also known as 3-Ring Marriage is a lost 1928 American silent drama film directed by Marshall Neilan and starring Mary Astor, Lloyd Hughes, and Lawford Davidson.

<i>I Want My Man</i> 1925 film

I Want My Man is a 1925 American drama film directed by Lambert Hillyer and written by Joseph F. Poland, Earle Snell, and Earl Hudson. It is based on the 1924 novel The Interpreter's House by Maxwell Struthers Burt. The film stars Doris Kenyon, Milton Sills, Phyllis Haver, May Allison, Kate Bruce, and Paul Nicholson. The film was released on March 22, 1925, by First National Pictures.

References

  1. The AFI Catalog of Feature Films 1893-1993:Old English
  2. Stein, Edwin C. (August 22, 1930). "Arliss Scores Again". The Standard Union. Brooklyn, New York. p. 39 via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Arliss and Barrymore Films in Warner Jubilee". Los Angeles Evening Express. Los Angeles, California. August 5, 1930. p. 10 via Newspapers.com.
  4. Catalog of Holdings The American Film Institute Collection and The United Artists Collection at The Library of Congress, (<-book title) p.131 c.1978 by The American Film Institute