The Man from Blankley's
Encyclopedia
The Man from Blankley's was a 1930
history epic and comedy film
by Alfred E. Green starring John Barrymore
and Loretta Young
. The film was based upon the 1903 play by F. Anstey
, and was considered to be a major comedy masterpiece of the early sound era. The film was Barrymore's first feature length
talking film.
It is considered a lost film
. The soundtrack survives on Vitaphone
discs, but all visual elements—print, negative, trailers and outtakes—are believed to be lost, with the exception of photographs taken on the set during production.
The trouble begins when a drunken sot wanders into the fancy home of a woman who is hosting a gala dinner. Mr. and Mrs. Tidmarsh (Dick Henderson and Emily Fitzroy
), a middle-class English couple, are giving a dinner party in honour of their wealthy uncle, Gabriel Gilwattle (Albert Gran
), hoping to receive his financial aid in their struggle to keep up appearances. Mrs. Tidmarsh had invited 13 guests, as a result of regrets, and Gabriel is superstitious. To offset this, she hires Blankely's, a professional company, to send her a sophisticated 14th guest, sight unseen.
Further cancellations obviate this necessity, and Margery Seaton (Loretta Young
), their governess, is invited; but the "hired guest" arrives anyhow and is announced as Lord Strathpeffer (John Barrymore
). Naturally Mrs. Tidmarsh mistakes the drunk for the hired guest and invites him to dine. Mayhem ensues. Margery recognizes the tipsy man as a former lover, and he is assumed to be an impostor. Sobering, Strathpeffer realizes he has come to the wrong party and asserts his right to his title; but Gwennie (Angella Mawby) hides her father's watch in Strathpeffer's pocket as he is renewing his romance with Margery. A police inspector arrives hunting for the missing lord, establishing his authenticity and the fact that he is not, after all, the hired guest.
and was revived in 1906 at the Haymarket Theatre
to much success. It also played on Broadway
at the Criterion Theatre, from September 16 to November 1903, for 79 performances. It starred the British actors Sir Charles Hawtrey
and Arthur Playfair
.
praised the film, stating that Barrymore had "reverted to type" and contributed in making a film that was a "highly entertaining and fantastic farse" and "one of the strangest and most delightfully insane comedies to reach the screen in years". The Judge recommended the film as suprb fun. In a telephone interview with Joseph W. Garton, author of The film acting of John Barrymore, actress Myrna Loy
is quoted as stating that it was "one of the most brilliant movies he ever made".
1930 in film
-Events:* November 1: The Big Trail featuring a young John Wayne in his first starring role is released in both 35mm, and a very early form of 70mm film and was the first large scale big-budget film of the sound era costing over $2 million. The film was praised for its aesthetic quality and realism...
history epic and 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...
by Alfred E. Green starring John Barrymore
John Barrymore
John Sidney Blyth , better known as John Barrymore, was an acclaimed American actor. He first gained fame as a handsome stage actor in light comedy, then high drama and culminating in groundbreaking portrayals in Shakespearean plays Hamlet and Richard III...
and Loretta Young
Loretta Young
Loretta Young was an American actress. Starting as a child actress, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1953...
. The film was based upon the 1903 play by F. Anstey
Thomas Anstey Guthrie
Thomas Anstey Guthrie , was an English novelist and journalist, who wrote his comic novels under the pseudonym F. Anstey....
, and was considered to be a major comedy masterpiece of the early sound era. The film was Barrymore's first feature length
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
talking film.
It is considered a lost film
Lost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
. The soundtrack survives on Vitaphone
Vitaphone
Vitaphone was a sound film process used on feature films and nearly 1,000 short subjects produced by Warner Bros. and its sister studio First National from 1926 to 1930. Vitaphone was the last, but most successful, of the sound-on-disc processes...
discs, but all visual elements—print, negative, trailers and outtakes—are believed to be lost, with the exception of photographs taken on the set during production.
Plot
The difference between social classes provides the basis for this comedy.The trouble begins when a drunken sot wanders into the fancy home of a woman who is hosting a gala dinner. Mr. and Mrs. Tidmarsh (Dick Henderson and Emily Fitzroy
Emily Fitzroy
Emily Fitzroy was a British film actress who eventually became an American citizen. She made her film debut in 1915 and retired in 1944, with exactly 100 films to her resume...
), a middle-class English couple, are giving a dinner party in honour of their wealthy uncle, Gabriel Gilwattle (Albert Gran
Albert Gran
Albert Gran was a Norwegian born American movie actor. He is most associated with his appearance in drama and light comedy films....
), hoping to receive his financial aid in their struggle to keep up appearances. Mrs. Tidmarsh had invited 13 guests, as a result of regrets, and Gabriel is superstitious. To offset this, she hires Blankely's, a professional company, to send her a sophisticated 14th guest, sight unseen.
Further cancellations obviate this necessity, and Margery Seaton (Loretta Young
Loretta Young
Loretta Young was an American actress. Starting as a child actress, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1953...
), their governess, is invited; but the "hired guest" arrives anyhow and is announced as Lord Strathpeffer (John Barrymore
John Barrymore
John Sidney Blyth , better known as John Barrymore, was an acclaimed American actor. He first gained fame as a handsome stage actor in light comedy, then high drama and culminating in groundbreaking portrayals in Shakespearean plays Hamlet and Richard III...
). Naturally Mrs. Tidmarsh mistakes the drunk for the hired guest and invites him to dine. Mayhem ensues. Margery recognizes the tipsy man as a former lover, and he is assumed to be an impostor. Sobering, Strathpeffer realizes he has come to the wrong party and asserts his right to his title; but Gwennie (Angella Mawby) hides her father's watch in Strathpeffer's pocket as he is renewing his romance with Margery. A police inspector arrives hunting for the missing lord, establishing his authenticity and the fact that he is not, after all, the hired guest.
1903 play
The play premiered in London in 1903 at the Prince of Wales TheatrePrince of Wales Theatre
The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre on Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in the City of Westminster. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner...
and was revived in 1906 at the Haymarket Theatre
Haymarket Theatre
The Theatre Royal Haymarket is a West End theatre in the Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use...
to much success. It also played on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
at the Criterion Theatre, from September 16 to November 1903, for 79 performances. It starred the British actors Sir Charles Hawtrey
Sir Charles Hawtrey
Sir Charles Henry Hawtrey was a celebrated stage actor, comedian, director and producer/manager, knighted in 1922 by King George V.-Early life:...
and Arthur Playfair
Arthur Playfair
Arthur Wyndham Playfair was an English actor and singer. Beginning in Victorian burlesque and comic operas, Playfair became known for his roles in Edwardian musical comedy and, later, in musical revues.-Biography:...
.
Cast
- John BarrymoreJohn BarrymoreJohn Sidney Blyth , better known as John Barrymore, was an acclaimed American actor. He first gained fame as a handsome stage actor in light comedy, then high drama and culminating in groundbreaking portrayals in Shakespearean plays Hamlet and Richard III...
as Lord Strathpeffer - Loretta YoungLoretta YoungLoretta Young was an American actress. Starting as a child actress, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1953...
as Margery Seaton - William Austin as Mr. Poffley
- Albert GranAlbert GranAlbert Gran was a Norwegian born American movie actor. He is most associated with his appearance in drama and light comedy films....
as Uncle Gabriel Gilwattle - Emily FitzroyEmily FitzroyEmily Fitzroy was a British film actress who eventually became an American citizen. She made her film debut in 1915 and retired in 1944, with exactly 100 films to her resume...
as Mrs. Tidmarsh - Yorke SherwoodYorke SherwoodYorke Sherwood was an actor. He was born on December 14, 1873 in England, and died on September 27, 1956 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.-Filmography:* 23 Paces to Baker Street * Devotion * None But the Lonely Heart...
as Mr. Bodfish - Dale FullerDale FullerDale Fuller has worked at a senior level in various software companies and is currently Chairman of the board at Webgistix Corporation.- Biography :...
as Miss Flinders - D'Arcy CorriganD'Arcy CorriganD'Arcy Corrigan was an Irish-born lawyer who became a character actor, playing some 49 film roles, typically very brief but impressive, such as his ominously silent, darkly shrouded Ghost of Christmas Future in the popular 1938 version of the film A Christmas Carol...
- Mr. Ditchwater - Louise CarverLouise CarverLouise Carver was an American actress who performed in grand opera, stage, nickelodeon, and motion pictures.-Biography:...
as Mrs Gilwattle
- Dick Henderson as Mr. Tidmarsh
- Edgar Norton as Dawes
- Diana Hope as Mrs. Bodfish
- May Milloy as Mrs. Ditchwater
- Tiny Jones as Miss Bule
- Angella Mawby as Gwennie
- Gwendolyn Logan as Maid
- Sybil GroveSybil GroveSybil Grove was born Sybil Marian Westmacott. She was a British actress. born 4th October 1891 in Teddington, Middlesex, England, UK. She was also known as Sybil Wingrove....
as Maid - Fanny BriceFanny BriceFanny Brice was a popular and influential American illustrated song "model," comedienne, singer, theatre and film actress, who made many stage, radio and film appearances and is known as the creator and star of the top-rated radio comedy series, The Baby Snooks Show...
Reception
Outlook and IndependentThe Outlook (New York)
The Outlook was a weekly magazine, published in New York City.-History:In 1900, the ranking weekly journals of news and opinion were The Independent , The Nation , the Outlook , and in a different class or with a different emphasis, The Literary Digest .-Notable contributors:*Theodore Roosevelt...
praised the film, stating that Barrymore had "reverted to type" and contributed in making a film that was a "highly entertaining and fantastic farse" and "one of the strangest and most delightfully insane comedies to reach the screen in years". The Judge recommended the film as suprb fun. In a telephone interview with Joseph W. Garton, author of The film acting of John Barrymore, actress Myrna Loy
Myrna Loy
Myrna Loy was an American actress. Trained as a dancer, she devoted herself fully to an acting career following a few minor roles in silent films. Originally typecast in exotic roles, often as a vamp or a woman of Asian descent, her career prospects improved following her portrayal of Nora Charles...
is quoted as stating that it was "one of the most brilliant movies he ever made".