''Anything Once'' is a 1917 American silent

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by

Joe De Grasse Joseph Louis De Grasse (May 4, 1873 – May 25, 1940) was a Canadians, Canadian film director. Born in Bathurst, New Brunswick, he was the elder brother of actor Sam De Grasse. Biography Joseph De Grasse had studied and was a first-class grad ...

and featuring

Lon Chaney Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (April 1, 1883 – August 26, 1930) was an American actor. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often grotesque and affli ...

and Franklyn Farnum. The screenplay was written by William Parker, based on a story by Izola Forrester and Mann Page. It was distributed by Universal Pictures. The film was originally to be titled ''A Fool for Luck'', but that was too close to the Essanay

Taylor Holmes Taylor Holmes (May 16, 1878 – September 30, 1959) was an American actor who appeared in over 100 Broadway plays in his five-decade career. However, he is probably best remembered for his screen performances, which he began in silent films in ...

film released in September 1917 titled ''Fools for Luck'', so the Universal production was changed to ''Anything Once''. The film was also referred to as ''The Maverick'' and ''Any Way Once'' in some reference sources.

Plot

Teddy Crosby has inherited a cattle ranch from his deceased uncle, "Coyote" Crosby, who was shot dead by "Horned Toad" Smith. Teddy will inherit the ranch provided that he lives there and marries his cousin, Dorothy Stuart, within six months. Waughnt Mohr (Lon Chaney) and his partner are crooked lawyers managing the estate, and they try to frighten Teddy so that he will sell the ranch cheaply. Mohr sends word to Horned Toad Smith that Teddy is arriving soon in Arizona, but Smith pulls his gun on the wrong man who nearly shoots Smith when he turns out to be a faster draw. Teddy saves Smith from being shot, and the two become friends, with Teddy not realizing that Smith is the man who murdered his uncle. Senorita Dolores, an old flame of Teddy's uncle, goes to New York to try to extort money out of Teddy. Sir Mortimer Beggs, a fortune-hunting Englishman, tries to convince Dorothy that Teddy is carrying on an affair with Senorita Dolores. When Dorothy and her mother learn that Teddy is heading West to the ranch, and that Dolores will be travelling there on the same train, they take off after them. Dorothy finds Dolores comfortably settled at the ranch, and thinking Teddy is cherating on her, she is about to return East when Smith's gang attacks the ranch. Waughnt Mohr tries to get Dorothy to sign over her interest in the ranch, and tries to have Smith kill Teddy. A gang of Mexicans is sent to capture Dorothy, but when they storm the house and discover the wine cellar, they all get roaring drunk. Dorothy is captured by Pedro, the leader of the gang, but she is rescued by Teddy. Later Teddy is captured by Smith's gang and is about to be branded, when Dorothy brings the ranch's cowboys to the rescue. The cowboys defeat the gang and they find Horned Toad Smith wrapped in a blanket because Teddy has won all of Smith's clothes in a poker game. Teddy gives Smith a job as foreman of the ranch, and he and Dorothy get married. Smith winds up marrying Senorita Dolores.

Cast

Franklyn Farnum Franklyn Farnum (born William Smith; June 5, 1878 – July 4, 1961) was an American character actor and Hollywood extra who appeared in at least 1,100 films. He was also cast in more films that won the Academy Award for Best Picture than any ot ...

as Theodore (Teddy) Crosby * Raymond Wells as Horned Toad Smith * Marjory Lawrence as Dorothy Stuart *

as Waughnt Mohr (a play on "Want More") *

Claire Du Brey Claire Du Brey (born Clara Violet Dubreyvich, August 31, 1892 – August 1, 1993) was an American actress. She appeared in more than 200 films between 1916 and 1959. Her name is sometimes rendered as Claire Du Bray or as Claire Dubrey. Ear ...

as Señorita Dolores * H. M. Thurston as Getting Mohr * Mary St. John as Mrs. Stuart (Dorothy's mom) *

Sam De Grasse Samuel Alfred De Grasse (June 12, 1875 – November 29, 1953) was a Canadian actor. He was the uncle of cinematographer Robert De Grasse. Biography Samuel Alfred De Grasse was born in Bathurst, New Brunswick to Lange De Grasse (1828–1891) ...

as Sir Mortimer Beggs * William Dyer as Jethro Quall *

Frank Tokunaga Frank B. Tokunaga was a Japanese actor, director, and screenwriter who worked in Japan and Hollywood. Biography Career Frank began his career in show business in 1912 while managing a troupe of Japanese acrobats for Barnum & Bailey, and later wor ...

as Algernon * Eugene Owen as "Coyote" Crosby (Teddy's dead uncle)

Reception

"Nothing is to be taken seriously in ANYTHING ONCE...and everything goes with a slap and a dash and not the slightest heed taken of such a thing as probability." --- Moving Picture World "A rather confused story, with plenty of action but little plot, is the basis of this latest Franklyn Farnum offering. Some audiences will like it, for it is fairly exciting at times, but very many patrons, especially in the higher class theaters, will be displeased at the story's lack of real humor and cleverness." --- Motography "This following in the footsteps of Douglas Fairbanks' stuff is beginning to grow a trifle monotonous." --- Variety

References

External links

*{{IMDb title, 0007644 1917 films 1917 drama films American silent feature films Silent American drama films American black-and-white films Films directed by Joseph De Grasse Universal Pictures films 1910s American films