''Dry and Thirsty'' is a 1920 American silent

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

film, directed by

Craig Hutchinson Craig Hutchinson (June 23, 1891 – February 1976) was an American film director, director and screenwriter. He directed more than 80 films between 1915 and 1928. He also wrote for 33 films between 1914 and 1927. He was born in Austin, Minn ...

. It is a satire of the

Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic ...

era in the United States. The film spoofs former Secretary of State

William Jennings Bryan William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator and politician. Beginning in 1896, he emerged as a dominant force in the History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, running ...

, who campaigned for Prohibition; the character is dubbed "William Allways Tryan." The stars,

Billy Bletcher William Bletcher (September 24, 1894 – January 5, 1979) was an American actor. He was known for voice roles for various classic animated characters, most notably Pete in Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse short films and the Big Bad Wolf in Disney' ...

and

Vera Reynolds Vera Reynolds (born Vera Nancy Reynolds; November 25, 1899 – April 22, 1962) was an American film actress. Early life and career Born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1899, Reynolds first worked in films at age 12. She began as a dancer, worke ...

, were a popular comedy duo in "Gayety Comedies". At the time of ''Dry and Thirsty's'' release, Gayety also released ''

Twin Bedlam Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of TwinLast Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two em ...

'', another Bletcher/Reynolds comedy. This was the first film for vaudeville actor Tom Dempsey, appearing under the stage name "John Dempsey". He later appeared in ''

The Bush Leaguer ''The Bush Leaguer'' is a lost 1927 American silent comedy film directed by Howard Bretherton and starring Monte Blue and Leila Hyams. It was produced and distributed by the Warner Bros. and had a Vitaphone soundtrack of music and sound effects. ...

'' (1927), ''

Nifty Numbers Nifty Numbers is a 1928 2-reel short film subject from Al Christie Studios. It is part a series called ''Confessions of a Chorus Girl''. ''Nifty Numbers'' is the fourth installment in this series. The 5th and 6th installments were called ''Footlig ...

'' (1928) and other

Educational Pictures Educational Pictures, also known as Educational Film Exchanges, Inc. or Educational Films Corporation of America, was an American film production and film distribution company founded in 1916 by Earle (E. W.) Hammons (1882–1962). Educational pr ...

comedies, and more than thirty

Mack Sennett Mack Sennett (born Michael Sinnott; January 17, 1880 – November 5, 1960) was a Canadian-American film actor, director, and producer, and studio head, known as the 'King of Comedy'. Born in Danville, Quebec, in 1880, he started in films in the ...

comedies in the 1930s.

Plot

Horace Radish is trying to find some alcohol to drink, but the task turns out to be a difficult one as the practice of drinking is illegal. His search takes him to the Bootlegger's Haven Hotel, however William Allways Tryan, the "father of Prohibition" is also staying at the hotel with his wife.

Cast list

as Horace Radish *

as Mrs. Tryan * John Dempsey as William Allways Tryan

Reception

Motion Picture News The ''Motion Picture News'' was an American film industry trade paper published from 1913 to 1930. History The publication was created through the 1913 merger of the ''Moving Picture News'' founded in 1908 and ''The Exhibitors' Times'', founded ...

'' reviewed the film on February 28, 1920: "''Dry and Thirsty'' employs the dream situation around the prohibition idea. The hero being fond of liquor goes to a "bootlegger's" to obtain it. He is also fond of flirting and his eyes cannot behave when he sees the wife of the prohibitionist. Complications ensue and then the grand awakening. Just a fair comedy." ''

The Film Daily ''The Film Daily'' was a daily publication that existed from 1918 to 1970 in the United States. It was the first daily newspaper published solely for the film industry. It covered the latest trade news, film reviews, financial updates, informatio ...

'' gave a poor review on June 6, 1920: "Lacking a meritorious theme and commendable incidents, this single reel comedy in which the short Billy Fletcher icplays the leading role, fails to register very heavily. Most of it consists of a pursuit of some liquor by the featured comedian, and the finish sees him reclining on a chair in a hotel while a bell hop serves him with the desired refreshment. The plot has no particular climax and the incidents in most cases are not sufficiently unusual to merit praise."

References

External links

* American silent feature films American black-and-white films {{1910s-drama-film-stub

Plot

Cast list

Reception

Further reading

References

External links