The Strange Adventures of Prince Courageous

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The Strange Adventures of Prince Courageous
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Directed byFrederick G. Becker [1]
Screenplay by Robert N. Lee [2]
Produced by Clem Beauchamp [2]
Starring Bessie Love
Arthur Trimble
Cinematography Hal Mohr [1]
Production
company
Arthur Trimble Productions [3]
Distributed byAnchor Film Distributors
Release date
  • April 7, 1923 (1923-04-07)(The Little Knight) [4]
Running time
2 reels [5] (each film)
CountryUnited States
Language Silent (English intertitles)
Budget$22,000 [6] (each film)

The Strange Adventures of Prince Courageous, also known as The Adventures of Prince Courageous, [7] is a 1923 American silent fantasy film series [8] starring Bessie Love and five-year-old [9] Arthur Trimble, directed by Frederick G. Becker.

Contents

Although it was planned to be a series of 12 two-reelers, [10] only three films were made: [11] [12] [13] The Little Knight, The Love Charm, and The Crown of Courage (also referred to as The Crown and Courage). [13] A fourth film, The Little Defender, is documented in publications from as early as the 1930s, [14] [15] [16] but is most likely an alternate title for The Crown of Courage.

The Little Knight is preserved at the Harvard Film Archive, [17] and The Little Defender is rare, but commercially available. [18] The preservation status of "Love Charm" is unknown.

Production

Norman Kennedy was the art director for the series, [13] which re-used much of the sets and costumes from Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood (1922). [19] Director Frederick G. Becker had been an actor in Robin Hood.

Cast

Arthur Trimble and Bessie Love Arthur Trimble and Bessie Love in a short film from the series "The Strange Adventures of Prince Courageous".jpg
Arthur Trimble and Bessie Love

The same cast was used throughout the series.

Plot summaries

The Little Knight

The banquet hall scene from The Little Knight The banquet hall scene from The Little Knight, starring Little Arthur Trimble.jpg
The banquet hall scene from The Little Knight

A knight (Butts) kills the giant son of a witch, and the witch (Coulson) retaliates by turning the knight into a little boy (Trimble). One day, King Lagg (Fabing) encounters the little knight in the forest, and invites him back to his castle, where the knight falls in love with the king's daughter Beatrice (Turner), who is to marry Duke Craven (Collins). The little knight saves princess from abduction, and the witch's spell is broken by the king's magicians. [22] [23] [24] [25]

The Little Defender

When King Lagg leaves on a trip, and must take his Royal Guard with him, the castle is left unprotected. His son, the little prince (Trimble) takes on the responsibility of defending the castle when a band of renegades attacks the castle. The prince pulls together a ragtag army and saves the castle. [14] [16] [26]

Release and reception

Although it is unclear whether the films were formally screened in theaters, the first film was shown at Hollywood's Granada Theater, and the audience was asked to vote whether they liked it. 95% of the votes were positive. [27]

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<i>Mary of the Movies</i> 1923 silent film by John McDermott

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References

Citations
  1. 1 2 Love 1977, p. 151
  2. 1 2 3 "Prince Courageous". Holly Leaves. Vol. 11, no. 34. September 2, 1922. p. 34.
  3. ↑ "Jessen's Studio Notes by Wire". Motion Picture News. Vol. 26, no. 9. August 26, 1922. p. 1020.
  4. ↑ "Short Subjects". Exhibitors Herald. April 7, 1923. p. 89.
  5. ↑ "Short Subjects". Motion Picture News. Vol. 27, no. 9. March 3, 1923. p. 1094.
  6. ↑ "Loaning Her Out". Close-Up. Vol. 8, no. 3. August 20, 1922. p. 12.
  7. ↑ "Signs Bessie Love". Moving Picture World. Vol. 58, no. 3. September 16, 1922. p. 200.
  8. ↑ "Lee Writing Fourth 'Script for Trimble". Motion Picture News. Vol. 26, no. 26. December 23, 1922. p. 3231.
  9. ↑ "Costume Screen Plays Rapidly Coming to Front". The Omaha Morning Bee. Omaha, Nebraska. September 3, 1922. p. 5-C – via Library of Congress.
  10. ↑ "Coast Brevities". The Film Daily. Vol. 21, no. 45. August 15, 1922. p. 10.
  11. ↑ "Kipling Signs Arthur Trimble". The Film Daily. Vol. 24, no. 64. June 4, 1923. p. 2.
  12. ↑ "Short Subjects". Exhibitors Herald. Vol. 16, no. 15. April 7, 1923. p. 89.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "Three Out of Twelve Trimble Productions Ready for Showing". Exhibitors Trade Review. Vol. 13, no. 6. January 6, 1923. p. 303.
  14. 1 2 National Film Library 1931 , p. 57
  15. ↑ See and Hear: The Journal on Audio-Visual Learning. Eau Claire, WI: E.M. Hale and Co. 1945. p.  48.
  16. 1 2 "Jim Thompson Co. Home Movies Library, The Little Defender". Knox County Public Library: Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection.
  17. ↑ "little knight". Harvard University HOLLIS.
  18. ↑ "Unidentified Bessie Love and Arthur Trimble abridgement". NitrateVille.
  19. ↑ Love 1977 , pp. 82–83
  20. ↑ "Anchor Film Will Distribute Product of Arthur Trimble". Exhibitors Trade Review. Vol. 13, no. 2. December 9, 1922. p. 75.
  21. ↑ "Casts of the Week". Camera!. Vol. 5, no. 20. August 26, 1922. p. 18.
  22. ↑ Catalog of 16 mm Silent Motion Picture Film Library. Mogull's Camera & Film Exchange, Inc. 1945. p.  32.
  23. ↑ "Twas the Night before Christmas". Amateur Movie Makers. Vol. 2, no. 12. December 1927. p. 8.
  24. ↑ National Film Library 1931 , p. 50
  25. ↑ "Christmas Home Movies". Home Movies. Ver Halen Publications. 1949. p. 607.
  26. ↑ 1000 and One: The Blue Book of Non-Theatrical Films (12 ed.). Chicago, IL: The Educational Screen, Inc. 1936. p.  120.
  27. ↑ "Theatre Audience Votes on New Trimble Picture". Exhibitors Herald. September 30, 1922. p. 52.
Works cited
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