''Brewster's Millions'' is a 1914 American

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by

Oscar Apfel Oscar C. Apfel (January 17, 1878 – March 21, 1938) was an American film actor, director, screenwriter and producer. He appeared in more than 160 films between 1913 and 1939, and also directed 94 films between 1911 and 1927. Biography Apf ...

and

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cine ...

and starring

Edward Abeles Edward Abeles (November 4, 1869 – July 10, 1919) was an American actor. He appeared in eight films between 1914 and 1918. Before working for Famous Players-Lasky, of which he was one of the founding members, he had a lengthy stage career. Abe ...

. It is an adaptation of the 1902 novel written by

George Barr McCutcheon George Barr McCutcheon (July 26, 1866 – October 23, 1928) was an American popular novelist and playwright. His best known works include a series of novels set in Graustark, a fictional East European country, and the novel '' Brewster's Milli ...

. The novel had also been turned into a successful 1906 Broadway

play of the same name Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * Pla ...

that also starred Edward Abeles. Abeles's success in the play led to his being cast in this film.

Sydney Deane Sydney Leslie Deane (1 March 1863 – 20 March 1934) was a first-class cricketer and entertainer, and the first Australian to appear in a Hollywood movie. Biography In Australia Born in Balmain, Sydney, to Edward and Sophia, Deane was a prom ...

, who played the character of Jonas Sedgwick, made his film debut in ''Brewster's Millions'' and in doing so became the first

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

n to appear in a Hollywood film.Bonnell, M. (2004) "Men of Many Talents", The Journal of the Cricket Society, vol. 21, no. 4., The Cricket Society The film is considered to be

lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

Plot

Wealthy Edwin Peter Brewster disowns his son Robert when he marries Louise Sedgwick, a woman of modest means. Many years later, when Robert dies, however, E.P. Brewster leaves one million dollars to their son Monty, a bank clerk. Shortly thereafter, Monty learns that he has inherited seven million dollars from his Uncle George on the stipulation that Monty divest himself of his grandfather's fortune within a year, without revealing why. A further stipulation is that the money must be used only for personal expenditures. Monty spends lavishly, invests in stock and makes a bet on a prize fight, but the bet and the stocks pay off. In desperation he rents and repairs a yacht to sail around the world. At one port, Monty saves Peggy Gray, his childhood sweetheart, from abduction by an Arab sheik. On the eve of gaining possession of the money, Monty proposes to Peggy, who eagerly accepts, thinking that Monty is a pauper. Then a cable informs Monty that Swearengen Jones, his uncle's executor, has absconded with the fortune. Unperturbed, Peggy and Monty marry but then are presented with the inheritance as a wedding present by Jones, who turns out to be a practical joker.

Cast

as Robert Brewster / Monty Brewster *

Joseph Singleton Joseph Edward Victor Fairfield Daveran Singleton (1 March 1879 – 24 October 1946) was an actor of the silent era. An Australian, he appeared in 74 films between 1913 and 1925. He was born in Melbourne. Selected filmography * ''Shon the ...

as Edwin Peter Brewster *

as Jonas Sedgwick * Miss Bartholomew as Louise Sedgwick *

Mabel Van Buren Mabel Van Buren (born Mabel Brown Southard; July 17, 1878 – November 4, 1947) was an American stage and screen actress. Biography As a theatrical performer she played the leading lady in both ''The Virginian'' and ''The Squaw Man'' (190 ...

as Mrs. Gray * James MacGregor as John Harrison *

Dick La Reno Dick La Reno (October 31, 1863 – July 26, 1945) was an American film actor of the silent era. He appeared in more than 80 films between 1914 and 1931. He was born in Ireland and died in Hollywood, California. Selected filmography * '' Ro ...

as Swearengen Jones / The Sheik * Baby La Reno as Monty Brewer, age 5 * "Baby" Carmen De Rue as Peggy Gray, age 5 (as Baby De Rue) *

Winifred Kingston Winifred Kingston (11 November 1894 – 3 February 1967) was a British-born American silent film actress. Kingston was educated in Scotland and Belgium. She acted on stage in England before she began acting in the United States. On Broadway, K ...

as Peggy Gray * Bernadine Zuber as Barbara Drew *

Monroe Salisbury Monroe Salisbury (May 8, 1876 – August 7, 1935) was an American actor. He appeared on the stage for several years and then became an early film star. Salisbury was a matinee idol. He began his acting career on the stage in 1898, appearin ...

as Noppier Harrison * Maureen Rasmussen as Trixie, the actress

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Brewster's Millions (1914 Film) 1914 films 1914 comedy films 1914 lost films Silent American comedy films American silent feature films American black-and-white films American films based on plays Films about inheritances Films based on American novels Films directed by Cecil B. DeMille Films directed by Oscar Apfel Films based on multiple works Films based on Brewster's Millions Lost comedy films Lost American films Paramount Pictures films 1910s American films