''Crinoline and Romance'' is a 1923 American silent

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

Harry Beaumont Harry Beaumont (10 February 1888 – 22 December 1966) was an American film director, actor, and screenwriter. He worked for a variety of production companies including 20th Century Fox, Fox, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation, Goldwyn, Metro Picture ...

and starring

Viola Dana Viola Dana (born Virginia Flugrath; June 26, 1897 – July 3, 1987) was an American film actress who was successful during the era of silent films. She appeared in over 100 films, but was unable to make the transition to sound films. Early lif ...

Claude Gillingwater Claude Benton Gillingwater (August 2, 1870 – November 1, 1939) was an American stage and screen actor. He first appeared on the stage then in more than 90 films between 1918 and 1939, including the Academy Award-nominated ''A Tale of Two ...

, and John Bowers.

Plot

As described in a

film magazine Film periodicals combine discussion of individual films, genres and directors with in-depth considerations of the medium and the conditions of its production and reception. Their articles contrast with film reviewing in newspapers and magazines whi ...

, Colonel Charles E. Cavanaugh (Gillingwater) lives in a secluded district of North Carolina with his orphaned granddaughter Emmy Lou (Dana). He has raised her in utter ignorance of life beyond this one spot and she still wears

crinoline A crinoline is a stiff or structured petticoat designed to hold out a woman's skirt, popular at various times since the mid-19th century. Originally, crinoline described a stiff fabric made of horsehair ("crin") and cotton or linen which was ...

s. The old home of the Cavanaughs is now in the hands of the Colonel's niece, Mrs. Kate Wimbleton, a middle-aged society woman who likes to surround herself with young people. She invites Emmy Lou to visit her but the grandfather refuses, so she sends Davis Jordan (Bowers) to help rescue the niece from her plight. When Jordan finds Emmy Lou, the servants force him off the place. Emmy Lou decides to runaway and visit her aunt. Her old fashioned ideas and costume win over the men and she proves a great success. Then she learns of her grandfather's illness and returns home to be with him. Jordan and Augustus Biddle (Forrest) follow her. Both men are in love with her and she cannot decide which she would like to marry. The bitter feeling between the two leads to a fist fight, and the Colonel decides it would be better settled with pistols in a duel. When Biddle cheats, Emmy Lou has no difficulty in making her choice.

Cast

as Miss Emmy Lou *

as Col. Charles E. Cavanaugh * John Bowers as Davis Jordan * Allan Forrest as Augustus Biddle * Betty Francisco as Kitty Biddle *

Mildred June Mildred June (December 23, 1905 – June 19, 1940) was an American actress who appeared in silent films. She was also co-writer of a 1927 film. She died at the age of 34 from alcoholism. Life June was born in St. Louis in 1905. She was an Am ...

as Birdie Bevans *

Lillian Lawrence Lillian Lawrence (February 17, 1868 – May 7, 1926) was an American theatre and silent film actress. Her daughter Ethel Grey Terry was also an actress. Biography Lawrence was born in either Alexandria, Virginia or Alexander, West Virginia b ...

as Mrs. Kate Wimbleton *

Gertrude Short Carmen Gertrude Short (April 6, 1902 – July 31, 1968) was an American film actress of the silent and early sound era. She appeared in more than 130 films between 1912 and 1945. Biography Carmen Gertrude Short was born in Cincinnati, ...

as Sibil Vane * Lillian Leighton as Abigail *

Nick Cogley Nickolas P. J. Cogley (May 4, 1869 – May 20, 1936) was an American actor, director and writer of the silent films. He appeared in more than 170 films between 1909 and 1934. Biography Cogley was born in New York, New York. He attended St ...

as Uncle Mose

Preservation

''Crinoline and Romance'' is a

lost film A lost film is a feature Feature may refer to: Computing * Feature (CAD), could be a hole, pocket, or notch * Feature (computer vision), could be an edge, corner or blob * Feature (software design) is an intentional distinguishing char ...

.Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Database: ''Crinoline and Romance''
/ref>

References

Bibliography

* Munden, Kenneth White. ''The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States, Part 1''. University of California Press, 1997.

External links

* * 1923 films 1923 comedy films Silent American comedy films Films directed by Harry Beaumont American silent feature films 1920s English-language films American black-and-white films Metro Pictures films 1920s American films {{1920s-silent-comedy-film-stub