''The Extra Girl'' is a 1923 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

F. Richard Jones Frank Richard Jones (September 7, 1893 – December 14, 1930) was an American director, screenwriter, and producer. Early life and career Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Dick Jones was sixteen years old when he became involved in the fledgling fil ...

and starring

Mabel Normand Amabel Ethelreid Normand (November 9, 1893 – February 23, 1930), better known as Mabel Normand, was an American silent film actress, screenwriter, director, and producer. She was a popular star and collaborator of Mack Sennett in their K ...

.Progressive Silent Film List: ''The Extra Girl''
at silentera.com Produced by

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 ...

, ''The Extra Girl'' followed earlier films about the film industry and also paved the way for later films about

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

, such as

King Vidor King Wallis Vidor (; February 8, 1894 – November 1, 1982) was an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter whose 67-year film-making career successfully spanned the silent and sound eras. His works are distinguished by a vivid, ...

's ''

Show People ''Show People'' is a 1928 American silent comedy film directed by King Vidor. The film was a starring vehicle for actress Marion Davies and actor William Haines and included notable cameo appearances by many of the film personalities of the da ...

'' (1928). It was still unusual in 1923 for filmmakers to make a film about the southern

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

film industry, then little more than ten years old. Still, many of the Hollywood

cliché A cliché ( or ) is an element of an artistic work, saying, or idea that has become overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, even to the point of being weird or irritating, especially when at some earlier time it was consi ...

s of small town girls travelling to Hollywood to become film stars are here to reinforce the myths of "Tinseltown".

Plot

Sue Graham (Normand) is a small town girl who travels to

to escape marriage, and in the hope of becoming a motion picture star. She wins a contract with a studio on the strength of a picture of a quite different (and very attractive) girl sent instead of hers; but when she arrives the mistake is discovered. Since the error was the result of another's deception, the studio manager agrees to give her a job in the costume department. She eventually gets the opportunity to

screen test A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film or in a particular role. The performer is generally given a scene, or selected lines and actions, and instructed to perform in front of a came ...

, but it turns out disastrously – although in a nod to the actress behind the character the director calls her "a natural comedian." Sue's parents come out to California, and invest money with a shifty individual who swindles them out of their life savings. Sue and childhood friend Dave, who has also followed her, retrieve the money. Despite the unsuccessful film career, all turns out well.

Cast

as Sue Graham * George Nichols as Zachariah "Pa" Graham *

Anna Dodge Anna Dodge (October 18, 1867 – May 4, 1945) was an American silent film actress. Anna Dodge married silent film actor George Hernandez and was frequently credited as Anna Hernandez. Filmography 1910s * ''Making a Man of Him'' (1911) * ''O ...

as Mary "Ma" Graham (credited as Anna Hernandez) *

Ralph Graves Ralph Graves (born Ralph Horsburgh; January 23, 1900 – February 18, 1977) was an American screenwriter, film director and actor who appeared in more than 90 films between 1918 and 1949. Biography Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Graves had alre ...

as Dave Giddings *

Vernon Dent Vernon Bruce Dent (February 16, 1895 – November 5, 1963) was an American comic actor, who appeared in over 400 films. He co-starred in many short films for Columbia Pictures, frequently as the foil and the main antagonist and ally to The Thr ...

as Aaron Applejohn *

Ramsey Wallace Ramsey Wallace was an actor in silent films. His work included leading roles. He starred in ''A Voice in the Dark (film)''. He received a favorable review for his leading role in ''The Call of Home''. He worked as a promoter after his film caree ...

as T. Phillip Hackett *

Charlotte Mineau Charlotte Mineau (March 24, 1886 – October 12, 1979) was a tall and thin American film actress of the silent era appearing in 65 to 80 films. Biography Mineau appeared in 65 films between 1913 and 1931. She supported Charlie Chaplin on ...

as Belle "Widow" Brown * Mary Mason as Actress *

Max Davidson Max Davidson (May 23, 1875 – September 4, 1950) was a German-American film actor known for his comedic Jewish persona during the silent film era. With a career spanning over thirty years, Davidson appeared in over 180 films. Career Born i ...

as Tailor *

Louise Carver Louise Carver (June 9, 1869 - June 19, 1956) was an American actress who performed in grand opera, stage, nickelodeon, and motion pictures. Early years and career Born Mary Louise Steiger in Davenport, Iowa, she was the daughter of Mr. and Mr ...

as Madame McCarthy, Wardrobe Mistress *

Carl Stockdale Carl Stockdale also known as Carlton Stockdale (February 19, 1874 – March 15, 1953) was one of the longest-working Hollywood veteran actors, with a career dating from the early 1910s. He also made the difficult transition from silent fi ...

as Director *

Harry Gribbon Harry Peter Gribbon (June 9, 1885 – July 28, 1961) was an American film actor, comedian and director known for ''The Cameraman'' (1928), ''Show People'' (1928) and ''Art Trouble'' (1934). He appeared in more than 140 films between 1915 a ...

as Comedy Director *

George Beranger George Beranger (27 March 1893 – 8 March 1973), also known as André Beranger, was an Australian silent film actor and director in Hollywood.Naturalization Records of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, Centra ...

as Actor in Wardrobe Line (credited as André Beranger) * Teddy the Dog as Teddy * Billy Armstrong as Comedian in Derby (uncredited) * Duke the Dog as Duke (uncredited) * Robert Dudley as Financier (uncredited) *

Charles K. French Charles K. French (born Charles Ekrauss French or Charles E. Krauss; January 17, 1860 – August 2, 1952) was an American film actor, screenwriter and director who appeared in more than 240 films between 1909 and 1945. Biography French was ...

as Studio Manager (uncredited) * Numa the Lion as Numa (uncredited) * Jackie Lucas as Son (uncredited) * Eric Mayne as Lion Film Director (uncredited) * Elsie Tarron as Actress (uncredited) Actors

Billy Bevan Billy Bevan (born William Bevan Harris, 29 September 1887 – 26 November 1957) was an Australian-born vaudevillian, who became an American film actor. He appeared in more than 250 American films between 1916 and 1950. Career Bevan was bo ...

and William Desmond appear as themselves. Producer Mack Sennett can be glimpsed briefly as a straw-hatted onlooker at Sue's screen test.

Production

Directed by F. Richard Jones, the film features several shots of semi-rural

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...

(the Edendale area along present-day

Glendale Boulevard Glendale Boulevard is a north–south street in Los Angeles. It starts off as Lucas Avenue at 7th Street west of Downtown Los Angeles, California. Background The name changes at Beverly Boulevard in Echo Park, north of the Hollywood Freew ...

, where Sennett's studio was located) showing houses and streets of the early 1920s, and of a Hollywood studio in action. One shot in particular, a high-angle view, shows a film set, with actors, two cameras and operators, several production people, and a mood orchestra composed of a pianist and violinist, to set the proper mood for the actors. Another shows an open stage with crew scrambling up scaffolding to the sunlight diffusing panels above. ''The Extra Girl'' was Normand's final feature film and her last film working with producer Sennett.

Survival

Prints of ''The Extra Girl'' are held in several archives and it has been released on DVD.

References

External links

* * *
Stills
at silenthollywood.com

at Looking for Mabel Normand * {{DEFAULTSORT:Extra Girl, The 1923 films 1923 comedy films Silent American comedy films American silent feature films American black-and-white films Films about actors Films about Hollywood, Los Angeles Films directed by F. Richard Jones Films set in Los Angeles Films shot in Los Angeles Pathé Exchange films Associated Exhibitors films Surviving American silent films 1920s American films