The Teaser (1925 film)
Encyclopedia
The Teaser is a 1925
black-and-white
silent film
comedy
/romance
/drama film
written by Lewis Milestone
, Edward T. Lowe Jr.
and Jack Wagner
based upon the play of the same name by Adelaide Matthews and Martha M. Stanley. The film was directed by William A. Seiter
for Universal Pictures
, and stars Laura La Plante
, Pat O'Malley, Hedda Hopper
, and Walter McGrail
. It is unknown whether any copies of this film exist, and it is considered a lost film.
), a girl from a once-wealthy family, must make a living by clerking in a cigar store. There she meets and falls in love with James McDonald (Pat O'Malley
), a cigar salesman. She is then adopted by Margaret Wyndham (Hedda Hopper
), her rich and aristocratic aunt, who disapproves of James due to his crude manners. Wishing to break up the two, Aunt Margaret sends Ann away to finishing school. In response, Ann acts out publicly and embarrasses her aunt. In the meantime, learns how to be a proper gentleman and wins her back through having learned good manners and a more diginified bearing.
felt there was no need to be overly enthusiastic about the films's plot or character portrayals, when they wrote "it contains a silly, soulless lot of characters and a weird idea of drama." When they expanded on Pat O'Malley's character of the cigar salesman, they granted that while it would be reasonable for a salesman to be willing to push his wares, they questioned the script having his character be so naive as to press the issue when he is at the home of his grilfriend's benefactors attempting to impress them and win her heart, by writing "one does not expect James MacDonald to be such an utter fool as to stick cigars under the noses of guests in a pretentious mansion at a time he hoped to wage war on the heart of the pretty Ann Barton." And in speaking toward Laura La Plante's character, who is scripted as being "a sly little minx, who believes in uttering untruths when they help her out of a difficulty, even if they do reflect on other persons,", they offerered that "Miss La Plante is not particularly effective in this picture." They concluded "The story is a pathetic little thing which is not apt to interest many persons." Time Magazine
offered that "The extraordinarily blonde Laura La Plante occupies herself genially enough in the title part."
1925 in film
-Events:*November 5: The Big Parade holds its Grand Premier*December 30: premier of Ben-Hur the most expensive silent film ever made costing 4-6 million dollars -Top grossing films :...
black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
silent film
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
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...
/romance
Romance film
Romance films are love stories that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate involvement of the main characters and the journey that their love takes through courtship or marriage. Romance films make the love story or the search for love the main plot focus...
/drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
written by Lewis Milestone
Lewis Milestone
Lewis Milestone was a Russian-American motion picture director. He is known for directing Two Arabian Knights and All Quiet on the Western Front , both of which received Academy Awards for Best Director...
, Edward T. Lowe Jr.
Edward T. Lowe Jr.
Edward T. Lowe Jr., also known as E.T. Lowe Jr., E.C. Lowe, Edmund T. Lowe, Edward T. Lowe and Edward Lowe was an American film writer, producer and editor. He wrote once 120 films between years 1913-1947, produced 18 films and directed one: The Losing Game...
and Jack Wagner
Jack Wagner
Jack Wagner may refer to:*Jack Wagner *Jack Wagner , an announcer for Disney theme parks*Jack Wagner , from The Bold and the Beautiful...
based upon the play of the same name by Adelaide Matthews and Martha M. Stanley. The film was directed by William A. Seiter
William A. Seiter
William A. Seiter was an American film director. He was born in New York City. After attending Hudson River Military Academy, Seiter broke into films in 1915 as a bit player at Mack Sennett's Keystone Studios, doubling a cowboy...
for Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
, and stars Laura La Plante
Laura La Plante
Laura La Plante was an American actress, best-known for her roles in silent films.-Early acting career:...
, Pat O'Malley, Hedda Hopper
Hedda Hopper
Hedda Hopper was an American actress and gossip columnist, whose long-running feud with friend turned arch-rival Louella Parsons became at least as notorious as many of Hopper's columns.-Early life:...
, and Walter McGrail
Walter McGrail
Walter McGrail was an American film actor. He appeared in over 150 films between 1916 and 1951.He was born in Brooklyn, New York and died in San Francisco, California, at the age of 81.-Selected filmography:...
. It is unknown whether any copies of this film exist, and it is considered a lost film.
Plot
Ann Barton (Laura La PlanteLaura La Plante
Laura La Plante was an American actress, best-known for her roles in silent films.-Early acting career:...
), a girl from a once-wealthy family, must make a living by clerking in a cigar store. There she meets and falls in love with James McDonald (Pat O'Malley
Pat O'Malley
Patrick O'Malley or Pat O'Malley may refer to:*Patrick H. O'Malley, Jr. , American actor*J. Pat O'Malley , English singer and actor*Patrick O'Malley , former Illinois State Senator...
), a cigar salesman. She is then adopted by Margaret Wyndham (Hedda Hopper
Hedda Hopper
Hedda Hopper was an American actress and gossip columnist, whose long-running feud with friend turned arch-rival Louella Parsons became at least as notorious as many of Hopper's columns.-Early life:...
), her rich and aristocratic aunt, who disapproves of James due to his crude manners. Wishing to break up the two, Aunt Margaret sends Ann away to finishing school. In response, Ann acts out publicly and embarrasses her aunt. In the meantime, learns how to be a proper gentleman and wins her back through having learned good manners and a more diginified bearing.
Cast
- Laura La PlanteLaura La PlanteLaura La Plante was an American actress, best-known for her roles in silent films.-Early acting career:...
as Ann Barton - Pat O'Malley as James McDonald
- Hedda HopperHedda HopperHedda Hopper was an American actress and gossip columnist, whose long-running feud with friend turned arch-rival Louella Parsons became at least as notorious as many of Hopper's columns.-Early life:...
as Margaret Wyndham - Walter McGrailWalter McGrailWalter McGrail was an American film actor. He appeared in over 150 films between 1916 and 1951.He was born in Brooklyn, New York and died in San Francisco, California, at the age of 81.-Selected filmography:...
as Roderick Caswell - Byron Munson as Perry Grayle
- Vivien OaklandVivien OaklandVivien Oakland , was an American actress best known for her work in comedies in Hollywood in the 1920s and 1930s, most notably with the Hal Roach Studios...
as Lois Caswell - Wyndham StandingWyndham StandingWyndham Standing was an English film actor. He appeared in 131 films between 1915 and 1948. A popular and much beloved leading man in the silent film era, he starred and costarred along many famous names of the day, both men and women. He and Ronald Colman were the stars of the now lost classic...
as Jeffry Loring - Margaret Quimby as Janet Comstock
- Frank Finch Smiles as Jenkins
- Janet GaynorJanet GaynorJanet Gaynor was an American actress and painter.One of the most popular actresses of the silent film era, in 1928 Gaynor became the first winner of the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performances in three films: Seventh Heaven , Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans and Street Angel...
as
Reception
The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
felt there was no need to be overly enthusiastic about the films's plot or character portrayals, when they wrote "it contains a silly, soulless lot of characters and a weird idea of drama." When they expanded on Pat O'Malley's character of the cigar salesman, they granted that while it would be reasonable for a salesman to be willing to push his wares, they questioned the script having his character be so naive as to press the issue when he is at the home of his grilfriend's benefactors attempting to impress them and win her heart, by writing "one does not expect James MacDonald to be such an utter fool as to stick cigars under the noses of guests in a pretentious mansion at a time he hoped to wage war on the heart of the pretty Ann Barton." And in speaking toward Laura La Plante's character, who is scripted as being "a sly little minx, who believes in uttering untruths when they help her out of a difficulty, even if they do reflect on other persons,", they offerered that "Miss La Plante is not particularly effective in this picture." They concluded "The story is a pathetic little thing which is not apt to interest many persons." Time Magazine
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
offered that "The extraordinarily blonde Laura La Plante occupies herself genially enough in the title part."
External links
- The Teaser at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- The Teaser at Allrovi