''Comin' Thro the Rye'' is a 1923

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

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

Cecil Hepworth Cecil Milton Hepworth (19 March 1874 – 9 February 1953) was a British film director, producer and screenwriter. He was among the founders of the British film industry and continued making films into the 1920s at his Hepworth Studios. In ...

and starring Alma Taylor and

Ralph Forbes Ralph Forbes (born Ralph Forbes Taylor; 30 September 1904 – 31 March 1951) was an English film and stage actor active in Britain and the United States. Early life Forbes was born in Wandsworth, London, the son of Ernest John "E.J." and Eth ...

. The film was based on the 1875 novel of the same name by Helen Mathers. The title alludes to the

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who hav ...

1782 poem " Comin' Through the Rye". A clip of it is seen in the comedy ''

The Smallest Show on Earth ''The Smallest Show on Earth'' (US: ''Big Time Operators'') is a 1957 British comedy film, directed by Basil Dearden, and starring Bill Travers, Virginia McKenna, Peter Sellers and Margaret Rutherford. The supporting cast includes Bernard M ...

'' (1957), in which the elderly staff of the old fleapit cinema tearfully watch

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...

s on their evenings off.

Plot

The story of a young girl who is prevented from marrying the man she loves by the machinations of a designing woman. The plot centres on the heroine, Helen Adair, who is courted by George Tempest but who meets and falls in love with Paul Vasher. Vasher's former love Sylvia Fleming who has betrayed him, is jealous of his affections for Helen and manages by intercepting mail between the lovers to plot to win him back. While Vasher is abroad she places a false announcement of the marriage of Helen and George in the ''Times'' and in his despair at this news he agrees to marry her. Sylvia is trapped in a loveless marriage, Helen retains her virtue, Vasher never forgets his love for Helen and in a final letter from the battlefield writes to his true love telling her he will meet her 'Comin' through the rye'.

Cast

* Alma Taylor as Helen Adair *

Shayle Gardner Shayle Gardner (22 August 1890 – 17 May 1945) was an actor from New Zealand actor. Partial filmography * '' The Indian Love Lyrics'' (1923) * '' St. Elmo'' (1923) * '' The Chinese Bungalow'' (1926) * ''Tommy Atkins'' (1928) * '' Sailors Don't Ca ...

as Paul Vasher *

Eileen Dennes Eileen Dennes (1 February 1898 – 22 January 1991) was an Irish-born actress of the silent era A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and em ...

as Sylvia Fleming *

as George Tempest *

James Carew James Usselman (February 5, 1876 – April 4, 1938), known professionally as James Carew, was an American actor who appeared in many films, mainly in Britain. He was born in Goshen, Indiana in 1876 and began work as a clerk in a publishing fir ...

as Col. Adair *

Francis Lister Francis Lister (2 April 1899 – 28 October 1951) was a British actor. He was married to the actresses Nora Swinburne (1924–32) and Margot Grahame (1934-36). Filmography References External links * * *ThFrancis Lister Collectionis held by ...

as Dick Fellowes *

Gwynne Herbert Gwynne Herbert (11 September 1859 – 17 February 1946) was a British stage and film actress. Partial filmography * ''Liberty Hall'' (1914) * '' The Christian'' (1915) * ''The Firm of Girdlestone'' (1915) * '' The Folly of Desire'' (1915) * '' T ...

as Mrs. Adair *

Henry Vibart Henry Vibart (25 December 1863 – 30 August 1943) was a Scottish stage and film actor, active from the 1880s until the early 1930s. He appeared in many theatrical roles in the UK and overseas, and featured in over 70 films of the silent era ...

as Mr. Tempest *

Christine Rayner Christine Rayner was a British actress of the silent era.Christine Rayner< ...

as Jane Peach *

Nancy Price Nancy Price, CBE (3 February 1880 – 31 March 1970), was an English actress on stage and screen, author and theatre director. Her acting career began in a repertory theatre company before progressing to the London stage, silent films, talkies a ...

as Mrs. Titmouse * John MacAndrews as Simpkins * Margot Armstrong as Alice Adair

References

External links

*
''Comin' Thro the Rye''
at BFI Film & TV Database

at Silent Era

at Hepworth film

Plot

Cast

References

External links

Further reading