''The Headmaster'' is a 1921 British silent

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Kenelm Foss Kenelm Foss (13 December 1885 – 28 November 1963) was a British actor, theatre director, author, screenwriter and film director. Early life and education He was born in Croydon, Surrey and studied art at the Wellesley School of Art and in Par ...

and starring

Cyril Maude Cyril Francis Maude (24 April 1862 — 20 February 1951) was an English actor-manager. Biography Maude was born in London and educated at Wixenford and Charterhouse School. In 1881, he was sent to Adelaide, South Australia, on the clipper ship ...

, Margot Drake and

Miles Malleson William Miles Malleson (25 May 1888 – 15 March 1969) was an English actor and dramatist, particularly remembered for his appearances in British comedy films of the 1930s to 1960s. Towards the end of his career he also appeared in cameo roles i ...

.Low p.379 It is based on the 1913 play '' The Headmaster'' by

Edward Knoblock Edward Knoblock (born Edward Gustavus Knoblauch; 7 April 1874 – 19 July 1945) was a playwright and novelist, originally American and later a naturalised British citizen. He wrote numerous plays, often at the rate of two or three a year, of whic ...

and Wilfred Coleby. The film can be summarized as a

clergyman Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

working as the

headmaster A head master, head instructor, bureaucrat, headmistress, head, chancellor, principal or school director (sometimes another title is used) is the staff member of a school with the greatest responsibility for the management of the school. In som ...

of a school tries to persuade his daughter to marry the idiotic son of an influential figure in the hope of being promoted to

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

Cast

as Rev. Cuthbert Sanctuary * Margot Drake as Portia Sanctuary *

as Palliser Grantley * Marie Illington as Cornelia Grantley * Lionelle Howard as Jack Strahan *

Simeon Stuart Simeon Stuart (15 May 1864 – 25 November 1939) was a British film actor of the silent era. Selected filmography * '' Snow in the Desert'' (1919) * '' The Lady Clare'' (1919) * '' The Face at the Window'' (1920) * ''Inheritance'' (1920) * '' ...

as Dean of Carchester *

Ann Trevor Ann Trevor (1899–1970) was a British actress. Her stage work included the original production of Noël Coward's '' Hay Fever'' at London's Ambassadors Theatre, in 1925. Selected filmography * ''Wuthering Heights'' (1920) * ''Build Thy House' ...

as Antigone Sanctuary * Louie Freear as Bella * Will Corrie as Sgt. Munton * Alan Selby as Richards * Gordon Craig as Stuart Minor

References

Bibliography

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

External links

* 1921 films 1921 comedy-drama films British silent feature films British comedy-drama films Films directed by Kenelm Foss British films based on plays Films set in England British black-and-white films 1920s English-language films 1920s British films Silent comedy-drama films {{silent-comedy-drama-film-stub