''Excuse Me'' is a 1925 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 ...

starring

Norma Shearer Edith Norma Shearer (August 11, 1902June 12, 1983) was a Canadian-American actress who was active on film from 1919 through 1942. Shearer often played spunky, sexually liberated ingénues. She appeared in adaptations of Noël Coward, Eugene O'N ...

and

Conrad Nagel John Conrad Nagel (March 16, 1897 – February 24, 1970) was an American film, stage, television and radio actor. He was considered a famous matinée idol and leading man of the 1920s and 1930s. He was given an Academy Honorary Award in 1940 and ...

. It was directed by Alfred J. Goulding, and based on the 1911 play of the same name written by best-selling novelist

Rupert Hughes Rupert Raleigh Hughes (January 31, 1872 – September 9, 1956) was an American novelist, film director, Academy Award, Oscar-nominated screenwriter, military officer, and music composer. He was the brother of Howard R. Hughes Sr. and uncle of bi ...

. The comedy concerns naval officer Harry Mallory and his would-be bride Marjorie Newton who spend most of their time running up and down a train looking for a clergyman to marry them. ''Excuse Me'' is a

remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same ...

of a 1915 film with the same name.

Plot

As described in a review in a film magazine, promoted for bravery and ordered to catch a boat to the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, Lt. Harry Mallory's (Nagel) sweetheart Marjorie Newton (Shearer) decides that she will go with him. There is a mad scramble to get a minister, but to no avail. Just as Marjorie is bidding Harry goodbye at the train station, he spies a minister getting aboard so he yanks her on the train. They fail to find the minister anywhere on the train, and with night coming, Harry and Marjorie have a terrible row about his taking her and the sleeping arrangements, so Harry sleeps in the wash room. In the morning, Marjorie in disgust plans to leave the train when Francine (Adorée), an old sweetheart of Harry, boards the train with her little boy. Marjorie comes back onboard and is horrified when the boy calls Henry "papa." Francine had taught the boy to do this to fool detectives that are seeking to take the boy away. This situation is all fixed, and then the train pulls into a station where there is a convention of ministers. Harry is trying to corral one when the train leaves, so he hires an airplane to catch the train at the next station. From the air, he sees that a trestle of a bridge ahead of the train is on fire, and makes a daring transfer from the airplane to the train to warn about the bridge. The engineer stops the train, but some of the cars overturn, and the engine with Harry in it hangs over the edge. Harry is rescued, all journey to San Francisco where Harry and Marjorie marry, and they catch a ship for the Philippines.

Cast

Preservation

With no prints of ''Excuse Me'' located in any film archives,Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Database: ''Excuse Me''
/ref> it is a

lost film A lost film is a feature or short film that no longer exists in any studio archive, private collection, public archive or the U.S. Library of Congress. Conditions During most of the 20th century, U.S. copyright law required at least one copy o ...

References

External links

* *
Still
at silentfilmstillarchive.com
Stills
at normashearer.com 1925 films 1925 comedy films Silent American comedy films American silent feature films American black-and-white films American films based on plays Films directed by Alfred J. Goulding Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Films with screenplays by Rupert Hughes 1920s American films {{1920s-silent-comedy-film-stub