The Actor and the Rube | |
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![]() A film still with Boyd Marshall, Edward N. Hoyt, Leo Post and Riley Chamberlin | |
Produced by | Falstaff (Thanhouser Company) |
Release date |
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Running time | 1 reel |
Country | United States |
Languages | Silent English intertitles |
The Actor and the Rube is a 1915 American silent short film produced by the Thanhouser Company under the Falstaff brand. Written by Philip Lonergan and directed by Arthur Ellery, this was the first Falstaff release. The production was supervised by Edwin Thanhouser and produced at the New Rochelle studios. The plot of the film is about a cranky farmer, who, disliked by his entire town, decides to head to New York City. An actor disguises himself as the farmer and returns to the farmer's village and makes him popular. After his work is done, the actor tells the farmer to return home and the farmer finds he is well-liked and marries his love interest. The one reel comedy production saw a wide United States release and was also released in the United Kingdom under an alternate title, The Actor and the Bumpkin. Reviews were positive and focused on good acting and originality in the execution of a plot, with the New York Clipper finding it a welcome relief from the "pie-smashing" antics of other comedies.
Hi Jenkins is a cranky farmer who is disliked by the whole village, including the spinster whom Jenkins wants to marry. Jenkins takes big losses while playing poker and heads to New York City to forget his problems. In New York, an actor takes an interest in impersonating Jenkins and an "accidental meeting" is arranged. The actor studies Jenkins and goes back to the cranky farmer's hometown and becomes popular with the people. The actor also wins at poker and regains the spinster's interest. The actor returns and informs Jenkins to be silent and all will be well when he returns home. Jenkins returns and finds himself to be well-liked, marries his spinster love interest and is no longer cranky. [1]
The Actor and the Rube was the first production of the new Falstaff brand of the Thanhouser Company. The production was personally supervised by Edwin Thanhouser at the New Rochelle studio. The new Falstaff productions would take the place of the Princess brand films which were doing poorly with the audiences. [3] The scenario was written by Philip Lonergan and the production was directed by Arthur Ellery. The single reel film was approximately 1,015 feet in length. [4] The production included Thanhouser actors, such as Riley Chamberlin, and Princess brand actors such as Boyd Marshall. [5] [6] An advertisement for the film stated that Boyd Marshall and Riley Chamberlain were the lead actors in the production. [7]
The film was released on April 16, 1915, with a later British release under the title, The Actor and the Bumpkin on September 30, 1915. [8] The film had a widespread release within the United States with advertised showings in Oregon, [9] Illinois, [10] Pennsylvania [11] [12] South Carolina, [13] Kansas, [14] Atlanta, Georgia, [15] Indiana, [16] New York City, [17] and California. [18]
A Motography review said, "...[it] is a good, wholesome comedy. Not uproariously funny, but it tells a story, and leaves one in good humor." [1] The New York Dramatic Mirror praised the film as having been well-produced and having consistently good acting. [3] Another review in The Moving Picture World was favorable and found the production to be original and pleasing. [2] The New York Clipper found the comedy to be a relief from the "pie-smashing, dough-throwing, acrobatic affairs that a long suffering public has come to regard at the only sort of film comedy to be seen." [19] The Motion Picture News called it an amusing farce that was clever. [20] A more detailed review written by Peter Milne said that the story was not original in concept, but the role of the actor was well-executed by Riley Chamberlain. [20] The film is presumed lost.
The Thanhouser Company was one of the first motion picture studios, founded in 1909 by Edwin Thanhouser, his wife Gertrude and his brother-in-law Lloyd Lonergan. It operated in New York City until 1920, producing over a thousand films.
The Actor's Children is a 1910 American silent short drama written by Lloyd Lonergan and produced by the Thanhouser Company in New Rochelle, New York. The film features Orilla Smith, Yale Boss, Frank Hall Crane and Nicholas Jordan. The production was not the first film subject by the company, but it was the first to be released. Both Barry O'Neil and Lloyd B. Carleton have been credited as the director of the production. Edwin Thanhouser stated that 19 copies of the film were produced and distributed to dealers.
Across the Way is a 1915 American silent short film produced by the Thanhouser Company under the Princess brand. The comedy-drama involves a man named Sparks playing a trick on his friend to make him question his sanity. The trick involves the friend's love interest being attacked by an assailant which works, but then a burglar attacks her a few days later. The friend saves his love interest from the burglar and later marries him instead of Sparks. The Princess comedy-dramas were not well-received and it was not long after the film's release that Edwin Thanhouser took a personal interest in the productions at the New Rochelle studio. Soon thereafter, the Princess brand was discontinued and replaced by the Falstaff brand. The film is presumed to be lost.
Adrift in a Great City is a 1914 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Film Corporation that stars Florence LaBadie. The film begins with Pat Moran who pays for the passage of his wife and daughter to join him in America, but he is seriously injured on the way to greeting them. Left by themselves, the daughter works in a sweatshop and goes blind, forcing her and her mother to become beggars. By pure happenstance, the blind girl wanders to the hospital where her father is recovering and tells her story to a doctor. The father recognizes the girl as his daughter and the family is reunited, and the doctor confirms her blindness can be cured. The film was reviewed negatively by critics for its poor scenario, settings and technical execution. The film is presumed lost.
She's Done it Again is a 1910 American silent short comedy written by Lloyd Lonergan and produced by the Thanhouser Company in New Rochelle, New York. A thief named Sikes decides to rob a society woman who falsely claimed to have been robbed when she in fact pawned her jewelry. A gentleman thief strikes and robs her, but no one believes her. The thief is caught only by a clever detective. The film was the third release of the Thanhouser company and featured the leading players, Anna Rosemond and Frank H. Crane. The film was met with positive reviews, but is presumed to be lost.
Daddy's Double is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Film Corporation. The film focuses on Hal, a young man, who proposes to Sue, his love interest. Her father overhears and becomes furious before whisking his daughter away to a boarding school. Hal and Sue attempt to elope, but it is foiled. Hal then gets an idea to disguise himself as the father and reclaim Sue. The plan works, but the father follows in pursuit. He breaks into the wedding ceremony at the parson's house and sees his double. He then laughs and approves of the marriage. The film was the fourth release by Thanhouser and it was met with favorable reviews by critics. In 2007, a surviving print was released on DVD with a new original score composed and performed by Raymond A. Brubacher.
The Thanhouser Company was one of the first motion picture studios, founded in 1909 by Edwin Thanhouser. It operated until 1920. It produced over 1,000 films, but several dozen of the films were of small filler subjects, educational or documentaries. Many of these smaller subjects were listed as a quarter or half a reel in length and received very little critical review or analysis by film critics and the media.
Jane Eyre is a 1910 American silent short classic drama produced by the Thanhouser Film Corporation. Adapted from Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel, Jane Eyre, the film mirrors the events and plot of the original book. The writer of the scenario is unknown, but Lloyd Lonergan probably adapted the work. The film's director is often and erroneously claimed to be Theodore Marston, but Barry O'Neil or Lloyd B. Carleton are possible candidates. The cast of the film was credited, an act rare and unusual in the era.
The Best Man Wins is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film features Thanhouser's leading players Anna Rosemond, Martin Faust, Frank H. Crane and Marie Eline in a drama about morality. Two suitors are vying for the hand of Julia Seaton and propose to her on the same day, but she asks for a month to decide between them. In the time the caliber of both men are tested when asked by a young girl, named May, to help her dying mother. The doctor refuses to help and the lawyer offers his assistance, but her mother soon dies. The orphan is taken in by the Seaton family and personally attests to the character of both men when Julia Seaton has to choose between her suitors.
The Girl of the Northern Woods is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film is a drama that follows Lucy Dane and Will Harding and a jealous halfbreed trapper named José. Considering Will his rival, José attempts to ambush Will, but instead shoots Will's assistant. José then blames Will for the deed and Will is bound by a lynch mob and set to be executed. Lucy frees Will and sends the lynch mob away, but José encounters Will and the two fight. José is wounded and falls over a cliff, but Will is recaptured by the mob. From the bottom of the cliff, José calls out for help and Lucy responds to him. José confesses his crime to Lucy and she rushes to Will and prevents his execution. The film was directed by Barry O'Neil and was released on June 3, 1910. An incomplete print of the film survives in the Library of Congress after its rediscovery in 1978 as part of the Dawson Film Find.
The Little Hero of Holland is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. It is an adaptation of the short fictional story popularized in Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates, about a boy who plugs a leaking dike with his finger to prevent it from bursting. The role of the boy was played by Marie Eline, but little else is known about the production and cast of the film. The director may have been Barry O'Neil and the writer may have been Lloyd Lonergan. Parts of the film were shot on Glen Park Island in New Rochelle, New York. The film was released on June 17, 1910 and saw a wide release, including the United Kingdom. The film is presumed lost.
Thelma is a 1910 American silent short drama film produced by the Thanhouser Company. The story was based on Marie Corelli's 1887 novel of the same name, it focuses on a Norwegian maiden who meets Sir Phillip and the two are wed. Lady Clara conspires to ruin the marriage and tricks Thelma with a letter purported to be from her husband. Thelma returns to Norway and to the death of her father. Thelma, alone in the world, prays at her mother's grave for strength. Sir Phillip searches for Thelma, ultimately finding her, uncovers the tricks which have been played on them and they fall back in love. Released on June 21, 1910, the film was met with praise in The Moving Picture World. An incomplete print of the film survives in the Library of Congress archives.
The Governor's Daughter is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The story details a convict who is being sent to prison when the train is wrecked and the sheriff escorting him is killed. The convict frees himself, but halts his escape to save the life of a little girl. As he returns the girl to her nurse, a policeman identifies and recaptures him. Later the little girl accompanies her father, the governor, on a tour of the prison and the father pardons the hero-convict. The film included scenes of a real train wreck and the scenario was written around the filming of the disaster. The film received praise for the before and after scenes which were described as shocking to The Moving Picture World's reviewer. The film was released on June 24, 1910, and was shown as far away as Australia. The film is presumed lost.
Tempest and Sunshine is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film is an adaptation of Mary Jane Holmes's 1854 novel Tempest and Sunshine, and features the deceptive Tempest and the benevolent Sunshine being wooed by a Dr. Lacey. Tempest and Bill Jeffreys conspire against Sunshine. By intercepting the lovers' letters the doctor instead decides to marry Tempest, but Jeffreys interrupts the ceremony to reveal the conspiracy. The doctor and Sunshine are reunited. The novel was a popular subject of plays and vaudeville, but the Thanhouser adaptation appears to be the first film version for it predates the adaptations in The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. Released on June 28, 1910, the production received a favorable review in The Moving Picture News. The film is presumed lost.
The Lucky Shot is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The plot follows Jack Hunt, the son of a wealthy woman, who weds a chorus singer Nell Horsley. Jack's mother forgives the son's error, but rejects his wife. Then Jack is killed while on strike duty in the local militia and the Nell and her child struggle in poverty. Nell begs her mother-in-law for aid, but the woman is enraged and drops dead. Her property goes to the young boy who saves the financial future of the family by finding a hidden fortune with a lucky shot while playing 'Indian'. Released on July 12, 1910, the film received positive attention and saw an international release. The film is presumed lost.
The Converted Deacon is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film follows the daughter who disobeys her father by associated with the theater and becomes a star on the stage. She keeps it a secret, but he father arrives in town and takes her home because her mother is ill. John DeLacy follows her home and disguises himself to secure a position on the farm. A newspaper reveals the daughter's fame and only after a song and dance does the father's anger abate and allows the two lovers to marry. Little is known about the production of the film, but the Thanhouser films were distinguished as being the best of the Independent companies in a The New York Dramatic Mirror editorial. The film was released on July 15, 1910, and met with mixed reception. The film is presumed lost
The Girl Reporter is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film follows two sweethearts, May and Will, who are reporters for the Daily Wave newspaper. Will leaves the newspaper to work as a secretary to Blake, the commissioner of public works. Blake takes a bribe and blames Will and fires him. May sets out to clear his name and becomes Blake's new secretary. May investigates and clears Will's name while proving Blake's corruption. The film was released on August 16, 1910 and saw a wide national release. The film received mixed responses from critics who liked the acting, but found issues with the staging and the plausibility of the plot. The film is presumed lost.
Not Guilty is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film focuses on Harry Martin who bids goodbye to his blind mother before he leaves the house and soon encounters a fleeing thief. The thief deposits a stolen purse into Harry's pocket and the police promptly discover and arrest Harry. They take him back to his home where he bids goodbye and is jailed. His blind mother becomes ill, under the false belief that her son is away on a journey. After he learns of this, he breaks out and returns home. The police surround and search the house and Harry flees to another building on a clothesline. Successfully having eluded the police, Harry buys a paper the following morning and discovers that the real thief has turned himself in. The film is known for its early use of a close-up shot to portray the complex action of the thief depositing the purse into Harry's pocket. The film was released on September 20, 1910 and met with mixed reviews. The film survives in the Library of Congress archives.
Their Child is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film begins with Ellen Stokes whose extravagant lifestyle is outside the means of the family. While their only son is hosting a birthday party, the husband informs Ellen that they are financially ruined because of her. Ellen attempts to get money from her uncle, who refuses, and a friend of the family soon comes to her aid with a loan. Ellen is deceptive in telling who provided the money and her jealous husband soon learns the truth. In anger, he takes the child and leaves. The child soon returns to Ellen and she whisks him away to a new home where she fails to obtain gainful employment. The son decides to sell newspapers for some money and in this job is recognized by his father, soon the family is reunited. Marie Eline played the role of "their child" and was likely so well disguised that the reviewer for The Nickelodeon believed her to be a boy. The film was released on October 21, 1910, and was met with positive reviews. The film is presumed lost.
The Vicar Of Wakefield is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film was adapted from Oliver Goldsmith's 1766 novel The Vicar of Wakefield, but covers only part of the plot and deviates significantly from the book to allow the story to be told within the confines of a single reel of film.