''Squibs' Honeymoon'' is a 1923 British 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 George Pearson and starring

Betty Balfour Betty Balfour (born Florence Lilian Woods; 27 March 1902 – 4 November 1977) was an English screen actress, popular during the silent era, and known as the "British Mary Pickford" and "Britain's Queen of Happiness". She was best known to aud ...

, Hugh E. Wright and Fred Groves. It was the last of the silent film series featuring the character, although Balfour returned to play her in the 1935

sound film 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 ...

'' Squibs''. Both Pearson and Balfour were particular favourites of the British film critic, and later leading screenwriter, Roger Burford. In his first article for the magazine ''Close Up'' Burford would write "Not long ago a film of the ''Squibbs'' series was reported to be on at a small cinema in a slum district. It was a rare chance, and we went at once. We were not disappointed: the film was English, with proper tang; the tang of Fielding or Sterne.'Roger Burford, 'What Next, and Then?', ''Close Up'' Vol. II, no. 2 (February 1928) p. 41 Burford's comments help place the ''Squibbs'' films perfectly in British culture between the wars. They were very much working-class comedy, drawing on a vernacular, performative tradition, but at the same time their "Englishness" is characteristic of the kinds of satirical comedies found in the novels of

Henry Fielding Henry Fielding (22 April 1707 – 8 October 1754) was an English novelist, irony writer, and dramatist known for earthy humour and satire. His comic novel '' Tom Jones'' is still widely appreciated. He and Samuel Richardson are seen as founders ...

and

Laurence Sterne Laurence Sterne (24 November 1713 – 18 March 1768), was an Anglo-Irish novelist and Anglican cleric who wrote the novels ''The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman'' and ''A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy'', published ...

. That earthy satire, based on everyday life, made these comedies unpalatable to middle class audiences but the Squibbs films were amongst the most interesting, and well shot, films in Britain in the 1920s.

Cast

as Squibs Hopkins * Hugh E. Wright as Sam Hopkins * Fred Groves as PC Charlie Lee * Frank Stanmore as Horace Honeybunn *

Irene Tripod Irene Tripod was a British actress of the silent era. Selected filmography * ''The Romance of Lady Hamilton'' (1919) * '' The Mystery Road'' (1921) * '' The House of Peril'' (1922) * ''Dicky Monteith'' (1922) * '' The Beloved Vagabond'' (1923) * ...

as Euphemia Fitzbulge *

Robert Vallis Robert Vallis (1876 in England, UK – 19 December 1932 in Brighton, Sussex) was a British actor. Selected filmography * '' A Son of David'' (1920) * ''Her Benny'' (1920) * '' Gwyneth of the Welsh Hills'' (1921) * ''The Amazing Partnership ' ...

as Bob * Maurice Redmund as Jean

References

Bibliography

* Low, Rachael. ''The History of the British Film 1918-1929''. George Allen & Unwin, 1971.

External links

*
''Squibs' Honeymoon''
at the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

Entry of film in Progressive Silm Film List

Mention of film in History of British Film (Volume 4): The History of the British Film 1918 - 1929

Mention of film in Movie History: A Survey: Second Edition
1923 films 1923 comedy films Silent British comedy films British silent feature films 1920s English-language films Films directed by George Pearson British black-and-white films 1920s British films {{UK-silent-comedy-film-stub