''The Fourteenth Lover'' is a surviving 1922 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

Harry Beaumont Harry Beaumont (10 February 1888 – 22 December 1966) was an American film director, actor, and screenwriter. He worked for a variety of production companies including 20th Century Fox, Fox, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation, Goldwyn, Metro Picture ...

and starring

Viola Dana Viola Dana (born Virginia Flugrath; June 26, 1897 – July 3, 1987) was an American film actress who was successful during the era of silent films. She appeared in over 100 films, but was unable to make the transition to sound films. Early lif ...

. It was produced and distributed by

Metro Pictures Metro Pictures Corporation was a Film, motion picture production company founded in early 1915 in Jacksonville, Florida. It was a forerunner of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The company produced its films in New York, Los Angeles, and sometimes at leas ...

Plot

As described in a

film magazine Film periodicals combine discussion of individual films, genres and directors with in-depth considerations of the medium and the conditions of its production and reception. Their articles contrast with film reviewing in newspapers and magazines whi ...

, Vi (Dana), daughter of the wealthy Mr. Marchmont (Vroom), has grown weary of her thirteen home-grown suitors and decides to turn to their gardener, Richard Hardy (Mulhall). Richard is a handsome but exceedingly stupid gardener who supports his aged mother (Lee) by trimming wealthy people's bushes. However, he has no use for society ladies who cannot cook or sew. Vi throws herself at his feet and learns how to cook to please him, but he is unimpressed. Her society friends tell lies about Richard to her. She goes to his home and compels him to keep her there all night so that he will be forced to marry her. This ends happily when he "consents" to this plan.

Cast

as Vi Marchmont *

Jack Mulhall John Joseph Francis Mulhall (October 7, 1887 – June 1, 1979) was an American film actor beginning in the silent film era who successfully transitioned to sound films, appearing in over 430 films in a career spanning 50 years. Early years Mu ...

as Richard Hardy *

Theodore von Eltz Theodore von Eltz (November 5, 1893 – October 6, 1964) was an American film actor, appearing in more than 200 films between 1915 and 1957. He was the father of actress Lori March. Von Eltz was a Yale University professor's son. After 12 ...

as Clyde Van Ness *

Kate Lester Kate Lester (born Sarah Cody, 12 June 1857 – 12 October 1924) was an American theatrical and silent film actress. Her family, the Suydams of New York, were staying in Britain at the time of her birth.Who Was Who on Screen 3rd edition page ...

as Aunt Letitia *

Alberta Lee Alberta Lee (1860–1928) was an American stage and film actress of the silent era. In 1915, she appeared as Mary Todd Lincoln in ''The Birth of a Nation''.Reinhart p.56 Selected filmography * ''The Birth of a Nation'' (1915) * ''Reggie Mixes I ...

as Mrs. Hardy *

Frederick Vroom Frederick Vroom (11 November 1857 – 24 June 1942) was a Canadian actor of the silent film era. Vroom appeared in more than 70 films between 1912 and 1939, mostly in supporting roles and bit parts. He played featured roles in Buster Keaton' ...

as Mr. Marchmont *Fronzie Gunn as Maid

Preservation status

A print of ''The Fourteenth Lover'' is preserved by

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

.The Library of Congress / FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: ''The Fourteenth Lover''
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References

External links

* * 1922 films American silent feature films Films directed by Harry Beaumont Metro Pictures films American black-and-white films Silent American comedy films 1922 comedy films 1920s American films {{1920s-silent-comedy-film-stub