Her Wild Oat
Encyclopedia
Her Wild Oat is a silent
comedy film
made by First National Pictures, directed by Marshall Neilan
, and starring Colleen Moore
. The screenplay was written by Gerald C. Duffy, based on a story by Howard Irving Young.
It was her second film directed by Marshall Neilan, the first being Dinty (1920). Marshall also produced Social Register (1934) with Moore, one of her last four films before retiring from Hollywood.
The film was thought to be lost but a copy was found by Hugh Neely in the Czech National Film Archive in Prague
in 2001 and subsequently restored by the Academy Film Archive
.
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
made by First National Pictures, directed by Marshall Neilan
Marshall Neilan
Marshall Ambrose Neilan was an American motion picture actor, screenwriter, film director, and producer.-Early life:...
, and starring Colleen Moore
Colleen Moore
Colleen Moore was an American film actress, and one of the most fashionable stars of the silent film era.-Early life:...
. The screenplay was written by Gerald C. Duffy, based on a story by Howard Irving Young.
History
This was Moore's first film after a contract dispute between her, her husband John McCormick, and her studio First National caused the couple to suddenly leave California for New York, with the intentions of making films either with another studio or overseas. Their problems were solved and Her Wild Oat was made upon her return. Originally they had planned to make Synthetic Sin, but it was necessary to complete the film quickly. Her Wild Oat was a simple story (originally racier until rewritten by Neilan to play up the comic aspects), and could be shot entirely in California (even though it's set in the New York area... palm trees can be seen in the background of the resort supposedly on the east coast) and mostly on location and using existing sets. Colleen wrote in Silent Star that her husband, a heavy drinker, had decided to re-edit the film while Colleen was on vacation. She returned to find the tops of all the gags had been removed.It was her second film directed by Marshall Neilan, the first being Dinty (1920). Marshall also produced Social Register (1934) with Moore, one of her last four films before retiring from Hollywood.
The film was thought to be lost but a copy was found by Hugh Neely in the Czech National Film Archive in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
in 2001 and subsequently restored by the Academy Film Archive
Academy Film Archive
The Academy Film Archive is part of the Academy Foundation, established in 1944 with the purpose of organizing and overseeing the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ educational and cultural activities, including the preservation of motion picture history...
.
Cast
- Colleen MooreColleen MooreColleen Moore was an American film actress, and one of the most fashionable stars of the silent film era.-Early life:...
as Mary Brown - Larry KentLarry KentLarry Kent was an American film actor and producer.-Career:Between 1925 and 1964 Kent acted in 52 films and a handful of TV shows including Rawhide. He had a successful career as a lead and supporting actor in the silent era but failed to make the transition to sound films and was cast largely in...
as Philip Latour - Hallam CooleyHallam CooleyHallam Cooley was an American actor of the silent era. He appeared in 106 films between 1913 and 1936.He was born in Brooklyn, New York and died in Tiburon, California.-Selected filmography:*Bull's Eye...
as Tommy Warren - Gwen LeeGwen LeeGwen Lee was an American film actress from Hastings, Nebraska. Her given name was Gwendolyn Lepinski.-Acting career:...
as Daisy - Martha MattoxMartha MattoxMartha Mattox was an American silent film actor most notable for her role of Mammy Pleasant in the 1927 film The Cat and the Canary. She also played a role in Torrent...
as Dowager - Charles Giblyn as Duke Latour
- Julanne JohnstonJulanne JohnstonJulanne Johnston was an American silent film actress born in Indianapolis, Indiana.Johnston is known for being on William Randolph Hearst's yacht The Oneida during the weekend in November 1924 when film director and producer Thomas Ince later died of heart failure...
as Miss Whitley
Footnotes
- Jeff Codori (2012), Colleen Moore; A Biography of the Silent Film Star, McFarland Publishing,(Print ISBN: 978-0-7864-4969-9, EBook ISBN: 978-0-7864-8899-5).