''Penny of Top Hill Trail'' is a 1921 American silent

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

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 ...

based on the 1919 novel by Belle Kanaris Maniates. It was directed by

Arthur Berthelet Arthur Rolette Berthelet (October 12,1879September 16, 1949; credited as Rolette Bertheletto, Arthur Berthelet, and Arthur R. Berthelet) was an American actor, stage and film director, dialogue director, and scriptwriter."California Death Index, ...

and stars

Bessie Love Bessie Love (born Juanita Horton; September 10, 1898April 26, 1986) was an American-British actress who achieved prominence playing innocent, young girls and wholesome leading ladies in silent and early sound films. Her acting career spanned ei ...

. The film was produced by Andrew J. Callaghan Productions and distributed by Federated Film Exchanges of America. The film is presumed

lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

Plot

When Penny (Love) goes to a ranch, she is mistaken for a thief. She encounters the ranch foreman (Oakman), who tries to reform her. When another girl is revealed to be the real thief, Penny's reputation is cleared, and she reveals her true identity: a film actress on vacation. She and the foreman realize their love for each other, and Penny decides to stay on the ranch with him.

Cast

as Penny *

Wheeler Oakman Wheeler Oakman (born Vivian Eichelberger; February 21, 1890 – March 19, 1949) was an American film actor. Early years Oakman was born as Vivian Eichelberger in Washington, D.C., and educated in that city's schools. He grew up in Fairfax, Virg ...

as Kurt Walters * Raymond Cannon as Jo Gary *

Harry De Vere Harry De Vere (February 1, 1870, New York City – October 10, 1923, Los Angeles) was an American silent film actor. He was signed by the Thanhouser Company based in New Rochelle, New York in 1914 and starred in about 70 films until his death ...

as Louis Kingdon *

Lizette Thorne Lizette Thorne (24 November 1882 – 3 November 1970) was an English-born silent film actress. She starred in 45 films in her career, including '' The Thoroughbred'' and '' The Bruiser'' with actress Charlotte Burton. Thorne's film career be ...

as Mrs. Kingdon * Gloria Holt as Betty Kingdon * George Stone as Francis Kingdon * Herbert Hertier as Hebier

Production

Exteriors were filmed in

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

. After its release, producer Andrew J. Callaghan sued Federated Film Exchanges, saying that the distributor had not paid the full amount to distribute this film, ''

The Midlanders ''The Midlanders'' is a 1920 American silent drama film starring Bessie Love and directed by husband and wife duo Joseph De Grasse and Ida May Park. It was produced by Andrew J. Callaghan Productions and distributed by Federated Film Exchanges o ...

'', and ''

Bonnie May ''Bonnie May'' is a lost silent 1920 American comedy-drama film based on the 1916 novel by Louis Dodge. It was directed by Ida May Park and Joseph De Grasse and starred Bessie Love. It was produced by Andrew J. Callaghan Productions and distrib ...

''.

Release

Upon its release, some theaters showed the film with ''

The Hope Diamond Mystery ''The Hope Diamond Mystery'' is a 1921 American 15-chapter action film serial directed by Stuart Paton and featuring Grace Darmond, George Chesebro, May Yohe, and Boris Karloff. The screenplay was written by Charles Goddard and John B. Clymer, b ...

'' and a Ham and Budd comedy.

Reception

Overall, the film received positive reviews and was successful at the box office. The wardrobe, atypical for Western films, and Love's frequent hairstyle changes distracted some viewers from the plot.

References

External links

* * * * {{Authority control 1921 films 1920s Western (genre) comedy films 1921 lost films American black-and-white films Films based on American novels Lost American films Lost Western (genre) comedy films Silent American Western (genre) comedy films Films directed by Arthur Berthelet 1920s American films 1920s English-language films