Big Brother (1923 film)

Big Brother
Big Brother
	Film poster
Directed by	Allan Dwan
Screenplay by	Rex Beach; Paul Sloane
Produced by	Jesse L. Lasky; Adolph Zukor
Starring	Tom Moore; Edith Roberts; Raymond Hatton; Joe King; Mickey Bennett; Charles Henderson; Paul Panzer
Production; company	Famous Players–Lasky Corporation
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	December 23, 1923;
Running time	70 minutes
Country	United States
Language	Silent (English intertitles)

Big Brother is a 1923 American silent drama film directed by Allan Dwan and written by Rex Beach and Paul Sloane. The film stars Tom Moore, Edith Roberts, Raymond Hatton, Joe King, Mickey Bennett, Charles Henderson, and Paul Panzer. The film was released on December 23, 1923, by Paramount Pictures.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Big Brother was shot at the Astoria Studios with extensive location shooting around New York City. Noted at the time for its realism, it is now considered a lost film.^[4] It was remade as a sound film in 1931 as Young Donovan's Kid.

Plot[edit]

As described in a film magazine review,^[5] Jimmy Donovan, gang leader in the East Side of New York City, protects Midge Murray when the latter's brother is slain. Jim decides that he must reform and bring up Midge decently. However, a court takes possession of Midge away from him. Jim, disgusted, plans a raid but then abandons the idea. His gang commits a robbery, and Jim and his girlfriend Kitty are accused of it. Jim escapes, recovers the loot and custody of Midge, and wins back the affection of Kitty.

Cast[edit]

Tom Moore as Jimmy Donovan
Edith Roberts as Kitty Costello
Raymond Hatton as Cokey Joe Miller
Joe King as Big Ben Murray
Mickey Bennett as Midge Murray
Charles Henderson as 'Father Dan' Marron
Paul Panzer as Mike Navarro
Neill Kelley as Monk Manelli
William Black as Loman Duryea
Martin Faust as Spike Doyle
Milton Herman as Izzy
Florence Ashbrooke as Mrs. Sheean
Yvonne Hughes as Navarro's Girl
Charles Hammond as Judge
Jack Oakie (uncredited)

Preservation[edit]

With no prints of Big Brother located in any film archives,^[6] it is a lost film.

References[edit]

^ Janiss Garza (2015). "Big-Brother - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes - NYTimes.com". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on February 3, 2015. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
^ "Big Brother". afi.com. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
^ Progressive Silent Film List: Big Brother at silentera.com
^ Lombardi p. 133
^ Pardy, George T. (January 5, 1924). "Box Office Reviews: Big Brother". Exhibitors Trade Review. 15 (6). New York: Exhibitors Review Publishing Corporation: 22. Retrieved May 25, 2022. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: Big Brother

Bibliography[edit]

Lombardi, Frederic (2013). Allan Dwan and the Rise and Decline of the Hollywood Studios. McFarland & Company . ISBN 978-0-7864-3485-5

External links[edit]

This article about a silent drama film from the 1920s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] Janiss Garza (2015). "Big-Brother - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes - NYTimes.com". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on February 3, 2015. Retrieved February 2, 2015.

[2] "Big Brother". afi.com. Retrieved February 2, 2015.

[3] Progressive Silent Film List: Big Brother at silentera.com

[4] Lombardi p. 133

[5] Pardy, George T. (January 5, 1924). "Box Office Reviews: Big Brother". Exhibitors Trade Review. 15 (6). New York: Exhibitors Review Publishing Corporation: 22. Retrieved May 25, 2022. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

[6] The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: Big Brother

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v t e Films directed by Allan Dwan
1910s	Woman's Honor (1913) Calamity Anne's Vanity (1913) Quicksands (1913) The Greater Love (1913) Her Big Story (1913) The Restless Spirit (1913) Back to Life (1913) Red Margaret, Moonshiner (1913) Bloodhounds of the North (1913) The Lie (1914) The Honor of the Mounted (1914) Remember Mary Magdalen (1914) Discord and Harmony (1914) The Menace to Carlotta (1914) The Embezzler (1914) The Lamb, the Woman, the Wolf (1914) The End of the Feud (1914) The Tragedy of Whispering Creek (1914) The Unlawful Trade (1914) The Forbidden Room (1914) The Hopes of Blind Alley (1914) Richelieu (1914) The Unwelcome Mrs. Hatch (1914) Wildflower (1914) The County Chairman (1914) The Straight Road (1914) The Conspiracy (1914) The Dancing Girl (1915) A Small Town Girl (1915) David Harum (1915) The Love Route (1915) The Commanding Officer (1915) May Blossom (1915) The Pretty Sister of Jose (1915) A Girl of Yesterday (1915) Jordan Is a Hard Road (1915) The Habit of Happiness (1916) The Good Bad-Man (1916) An Innocent Magdalene (1916) Manhattan Madness (1916) Fifty-Fifty (1916) Accusing Evidence (1916) Fighting Odds (1917) A Modern Musketeer (1917) Panthea (1917) Headin' South (1918) Mr. Fix-It (1918) Bound in Morocco (1918) He Comes Up Smiling (1918) Cheating Cheaters (1919) Soldiers of Fortune (1919)
1920s	The Luck of the Irish (1920) The Scoffer (1920) The Forbidden Thing (1920) A Splendid Hazard (1920) A Perfect Crime (1921) The Sin of Martha Queed (1921) A Broken Doll (1921) The Hidden Woman (1922) Robin Hood (1922) Lawful Larceny (1923) Zaza (1923) Big Brother (1923) A Society Scandal (1924) Manhandled (1924) Her Love Story (1924) Wages of Virtue (1924) Argentine Love (1924) The Coast of Folly (1925) Night Life of New York (1925) Stage Struck (1925) Sea Horses (1926) Padlocked (1926) Tin Gods (1926) Summer Bachelors (1926) The Music Master (1927) The Joy Girl (1927) East Side, West Side (1927) French Dressing (1927) The Big Noise (1928) The Iron Mask (1929) Tide of Empire (1929) The Far Call (1929) Frozen Justice (1929) South Sea Rose (1929)
1930s	What a Widow! (1930) Man to Man (1930) Chances (1931) Wicked (1931) While Paris Sleeps (1932) Her First Affaire (1932) Counsel's Opinion (1933) I Spy (1934) Black Sheep (1935) Navy Wife (1935) Song and Dance Man (1936) Human Cargo (1936) High Tension (1936) 15 Maiden Lane (1936) Woman-Wise (1937) That I May Live (1937) One Mile from Heaven (1937) Heidi (1937) Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938) Suez (1938) Josette (1938) The Three Musketeers (1939) The Gorilla (1939)
1940s	Frontier Marshal (1939) Sailor's Lady (1940) Young People (1940) Trail of the Vigilantes (1940) Look Who's Laughing (1941) Rise and Shine (1941) Friendly Enemies (1942) Here We Go Again (1942) Around the World (1943) Abroad with Two Yanks (1944) Up in Mabel's Room (1944) Brewster's Millions (1945) Getting Gertie's Garter (1945) Rendezvous with Annie (1946) Calendar Girl (1947) Northwest Outpost (1947) Driftwood (1947) The Inside Story (1948) Angel in Exile (1948) Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)
1950s	Surrender (1950) Belle Le Grand (1951) The Wild Blue Yonder (1951) I Dream of Jeanie (1952) Montana Belle (1952) Woman They Almost Lynched (1953) Sweethearts on Parade (1953) Flight Nurse (1953) Silver Lode (1954) Passion (1954) Cattle Queen of Montana (1954) Escape to Burma (1955) Pearl of the South Pacific (1955) Tennessee's Partner (1955) Slightly Scarlet (1956) Hold Back the Night (1956) The River's Edge (1957) The Restless Breed (1957) Enchanted Island (1958)
1960s	Most Dangerous Man Alive (1961)