''Comin' Thro the Rye'' is a 1923 British 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 Alma Louise Taylor (3 January 1895 – 23 January 1974) was a British actress. Life Taylor was born in London. She made her first screen appearance as a child actor in the 1907 film ''His Daughter's Voice''. She went on to appear in more th ...

and Ralph Forbes. The film was based on the 1875 novel of the same name by

Helen Mathers Ellen Buckingham Mathews (1849–1920) was a popular female English novelist during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She was also known as Mrs Reeves after her marriage in 1877 to Dr. Henry Albert Reeves (1841–1914) but was best known u ...

. The title alludes to the Robert Burns 1782 poem "

Comin' Through the Rye "Comin' Thro' the Rye" is a poem written in 1782 by Robert Burns (1759–1796). The words are put to the melody of the Scottish Minstrel "Common' Frae The Town". This is a variant of the tune to which " Auld Lang Syne" is usually sung—the melodi ...

". A clip of it is seen in the comedy '' The Smallest Show on Earth'' (1957), in which the elderly staff of the old fleapit cinema tearfully watch

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized 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) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

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

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 Car ...

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 ...

as Sylvia Fleming * Ralph Forbes 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 as Mr. Tempest *

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

as Jane Peach * Nancy Price as Mrs. Titmouse *

John MacAndrews John MacAndrews was a British actor of the silent era. Selected filmography * ''The Vicar of Wakefield'' (1913) * ''The Heart of Midlothian'' (1914) * ''The Chimes'' (1914) * '' For Her People'' (1914) * '' Far from the Madding Crowd'' (1915) ...

as Simpkins *

Margot Armstrong Margot (; ) is a feminine French given name, a variant of Marguerite. It is also occasionally a surname. Persons named Margot include the following: People with the given name Margot * Margot Asquith, countess of Oxford and Asquith * Marguerite ...

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