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Mary of the Movies

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Mary of the Movies
Directed byJohn McDermott[1]
Story by
Starring
Cinematography
Production
company
Columbia/Robertson-Cole[4]
Distributed byFilm Booking Offices[1]
Release date
  • May 22, 1923 (1923-05-22) (U.S.)
[1]
Running time
6–7 reels[1][2][5][6]
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)

Mary of the Movies is a silent semi-autobiographical 1923 comedy[7] film based on the career of Marion Mack.[3] It was written by Mack[3] and her husband Louis Lewyn,[2] and stars Mack and Creighton Hale.[1] Hale and director John McDermott play fictionalized versions of themselves in the film, which was also directed by McDermott.

A partial print of the film exists in Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision.[7]

Plot

Mary (Mack), a country girl, moves to Hollywood to become a star, and earn money to pay for her brother's operation. She meets many famous stars, but has difficulty getting work. Finally, she gets a break when her resemblance to a star leads to her being cast in a film.[1][2]

Cast

Principals
  • Marion Mack as Mary, the girl[2][8]
  • Florence Lee as her mother
  • Mary Kane as her sister
  • Jack Perrin as Jack, her brother
  • Harry Cornelli as "Lait" Mayle, the postman
  • John Geough as Reel S. Tate, the squire
  • Raymond Cannon as Oswald Tate, his son
  • Ray Hanford as the old man
  • Rosemary Cooper as Jane, the extra girl
  • Creighton Hale as himself, the boy
  • Francis MacDonald as James Seiler, a salesman
  • Henry Burrows as the producer
  • John McDermott as the director
Celebrity cameos

Reception

The film received good reviews, and did well at the box office.[5][6][9] It was deemed better than a similar film released the same year, Hollywood.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Motion Picture News Booking Guide. Vol. 5. October 1923. p. 36.
  2. ^ a b c d e J.M.D. (June 2, 1923). "The Showman's Guide". Exhibitors Trade Review. 14 (1): 34.
  3. ^ a b c Rohauer, Raymond. "Interview with Marion Mack" (PDF).
  4. ^ a b Love, Bessie (1977). From Hollywood with Love: An Autobiography of Bessie Love. London: Elm Tree Books. p. 151. OCLC 734075937.
  5. ^ a b Hopkins, C.E. (April 5, 1924). "What the Picture Did For Me". Exhibitors Herald: 49. This drew a fairly good audience and our folks considered it good entertainment. Seven reels.
  6. ^ a b c Royster, M. (April 19, 1924). "What the Picture Did For Me". Exhibitors Herald: 59. Good picture. My patrons liked this very much. Some said it was better than 'Hollywood.' It sure drew well for me. Six reels.
  7. ^ a b Kehr, Dave (June 7, 2010). "Trove of Long-Lost Silent Films Returns to America". The New York Times. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  8. ^ Munden, Kenneth White, ed. (1971). American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films 1921–1930.
  9. ^ Niles, Clifford L. (March 29, 1924). "What the Picture Did For Me". Exhibitors Herald: 61. A good business getter and sent them home pleased. Don't be afraid of this; it will make you money.