''The Girl Who Ran Wild'' is a 1922 American

comedy-drama film Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

directed by

Rupert Julian Rupert Julian (born Thomas Percival Hayes; 25 January 1879 – 27 December 1943) was a New Zealand cinema actor, director, writer and producer. During his career, Julian directed 60 films and acted in over 90 films. He is best remembered for di ...

. It is a black and white

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...

released by

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a ...

which is based on the 1863 novella ''M’liss: An Idyll of Red Mountain'' by

Bret Harte Bret Harte (; born Francis Brett Hart; August 25, 1836 – May 5, 1902) was an American short story writer and poet best remembered for short fiction featuring miners, gamblers, and other romantic figures of the California Gold Rush. In a caree ...

. It is a remake of the 1918 film '' M’Liss''. The film was written by George C. Hull and features cast such as Gladys Walton (as M’liss),

Marc Robbins Marc Robbins (January 3, 1868 – April 5, 1931) was an American actor of the silent era. He appeared in 78 films between 1914 and 1923. He died in Los Angeles, California. Morey was from Topeka, Kansas, and he acted with the Morey Stock ...

(“Bummer” Smith), and

Vernon Steele Vernon Steele (born Arturo Romeo Antonietti; 18 September 1882 – 23 July 1955) was a Chilean-born British actor known for his appearances on the Broadway stage and in American films. He often played patrician young men in silent films. Steele ...

(The Schoolmaster). It is a western melodrama which was released on October 9, 1922. It was filmed in Seven Oaks, California.IMDb entry
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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 ...

, Melissa Bummer (Walton), whom everyone called "Old Man Bummer's Wildcat," told the world that she could take care of herself after her Dad (Robbins) died and left her alone in a shack in the hills. Shabbily clad, barefoot, her hair knotted and uncombed, M'Liss scorned the girls from the city who had Mamas and always had ribbons in their hair. But this was before the new Schoolmaster (Steele) came, and she began to realize how sadly ignorant she was. Of course, he was handsome and well groomed. M'Liss was not surprised by that, but she could believe her ears when he told her that he loved her and wanted her to go away with him. The little wildcat of the mountains began to earnestly study her textbooks, to wear becoming clothes supplied by her two guardians, and awoke to all that she had been missing before in her solitary existence in her father's shack. One thing that M'Liss did not have to learn in school was the winsome ways of a maid to win a man. This is where her eternal feminine cropped out to beat the village belle to the goal.

Cast

* Gladys Walton as M'liss *

as 'Bummer' Smith *

as The Schoolmaster *

Joseph J. Dowling Joseph Johnson Dowling (September 4, 1850 – July 8, 1928) was an American stage and silent film actor. Early life and career Born in Pittsburgh, the son of James and Fredericka (''nee'' Edstrem) Dowling. His father was a native of Pennsy ...

as Calaveras John (credited as Joseph Dowling) *

William Burress William Burress (19 August 1867 – 30 October 1948) was an American actor. He appeared in more than seventy films from 1915 to 1939. Filmography References External links * 1867 births 1948 deaths American male film actors ...

as Johnny Cake * Al Hart as Preacher *

Nelson McDowell Nelson McDowell (August 14, 1870 – November 3, 1947) was an American actor. He appeared in more than 170 films between 1917 and 1945. McDowell was born in Greenville, Missouri. His parents were N. B. McDowell and Anne Hampton. He attend ...

as Deacon McSnagley *

Lloyd Whitlock Lloyd Whitlock (January 2, 1891 – January 8, 1966) was a prolific American actor who began working during Hollywood's silent era. Born in 1891, he appeared in nearly 200 films between 1916 and 1949. Distinguished by his height and stature, he ...

as Jack Velvet * Lucille Ricksen as Clytie

References

External links

* * 1922 films American silent feature films American black-and-white films 1920s American films 1920s English-language films Silent American comedy-drama films English-language comedy-drama films {{silent-comedy-drama-film-stub