''Lightnin 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 ...

directed by

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

. It was based on a successful play of the same name. The original run of the play started in 1918 at the

Gaiety Theatre (New York) The Gaiety Theatre was a Broadway theatre at 1547 Broadway in Times Square, Manhattan, New York City from 1909 until 1982, when it was torn down. The office building that housed the theatre, the Gaiety Building, has been called the Black Tin P ...

and continued for 1,291 performances, breaking the record for longest running play at that time. The film was remade in 1930 by Henry King for

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

as an early

talkie A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...

starring Will Rogers with support from

Louise Dresser Louise Dresser (born Louise Josephine Kerlin; October 5, 1878 – April 24, 1965) was an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles in the many films in which she played the wife of Will Rogers, including '' State Fair'' and ...

and

Joel McCrea Joel Albert McCrea (November 5, 1905 – October 20, 1990) was an American actor whose career spanned a wide variety of genres over almost five decades, including comedy, drama, romance, thrillers, adventures, and Westerns, for which he bec ...

Plot

As described in a film magazine reviews, war veteran Lightnin’ Bill Jones is a likeable old man who has a friend in every acquaintance, and loves his dog and his liquor. His wife and he operate a hotel. When some swindlers from the city seek to get possession of the property, Lightnin’ Bill Jones sees through their scheme and refuses to sign the deeds. His wife construes his refusal as a malicious move and sues him for divorce. In the courtroom, she relents and, at the moment before the decree is handed down, they become reconciled.

Cast

References

External links

* * 1925 films 1925 comedy films Silent American comedy films American silent feature films American black-and-white films Films directed by John Ford Fox Film films Films with screenplays by Frances Marion 1920s American films {{1920s-comedy-film-stub