''Cameo Kirby'' is a 1923 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 ...
directed by
John Ford
John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...
which starred John Gilbert and Gertrude Olmstead and featuring
Jean Arthur
Jean Arthur (born Gladys Georgianna Greene; October 17, 1900 – June 19, 1991) was an American Broadway and film actress whose career began in silent films in the early 1920s and lasted until the early 1950s.
Arthur had feature roles in three F ...
in her onscreen debut. It was Ford's first film credited as John Ford instead of Jack Ford.
The film is based on a 1908 play by
Booth Tarkington
Newton Booth Tarkington (July 29, 1869 – May 19, 1946) was an American novelist and dramatist best known for his novels '' The Magnificent Ambersons'' (1918) and '' Alice Adams'' (1921). He is one of only four novelists to win the Pulitz ...
and
Harry Leon Wilson. The story had been filmed as a
silent before in 1914 with
Dustin Farnum
Dustin Lancy Farnum (May 27, 1874 – July 3, 1929) was an American singer, dancer, and actor on the stage and in silent films. Although he played a wide variety of roles, he tended toward westerns and became one of the biggest stars of the genr ...
, who had originated the role on Broadway in 1909. The film was remade as a
talking musical film in 1930.
Cast
Preservation
Prints of ''Cameo Kirby'' are maintained in the
UCLA Film and Television Archive
The UCLA Film & Television Archive is a visual arts organization focused on the preservation, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Also a nonprofit exhibition venue, the ar ...
and at the Cinemateca Portuguesa (Portuguese Film Archive), in Lisbon.
References
External links
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Cameo Kirbyat Virtual History
1923 films
1923 drama films
Silent American drama films
American silent feature films
American black-and-white films
American films based on plays
Films based on works by Booth Tarkington
Films directed by John Ford
Gambling films
Fox Film films
1920s American films
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