''The Man Who Lost Himself'' is a

lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

1920 American silent comedy-drama film directed by

Clarence G. Badger Clarence G. Badger (June 9, 1880 – June 17, 1964) was an American film director of feature films in the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s. His films include ''It (1927 film), It'' and ''Red Hair (film), Red Hair'', more than a dozen features and shorts st ...

and

George D. Baker George Duane Baker (April 22, 1868 – June 2, 1933) was an American motion picture director whose career began near the dawn of the silent film era. Early life He was born at Champaign, Illinois on April 22, 1868. He was the second son and third ...

. It was produced by its star, stage actor

William Faversham William FavershamBlum, Daniel (c. 1954). ''Great Stars of the American Stage''. "Profile No. 46". 2nd ed. (12 February 1868 – 7 April 1940) was an English stage and film actor, manager, and producer. Biography He was born in London. As a t ...

, and

Lewis J. Selznick Lewis J. Selznick (May 2, 1870 or 1869 – January 25, 1933) was an American producer in the early years of the film industry. After initial involvement with World Film at Fort Lee, New Jersey, he established Selznick Pictures in California. B ...

. The film is based on the 1918 novel of the same title by

Henry De Vere Stacpoole Henry de Vere Stacpoole (9 April 1863 – 12 April 1951) was an Irish author. His best-known work is the 1908 romance novel '' The Blue Lagoon'', which has been adapted into multiple films. He published using his own name and sometimes the pseud ...

. Faversham plays dual roles of an English nobleman and an American who looks just like him. The novel was later adapted again for a 1941 remake of the same title starring

Brian Aherne William Brian de Lacy Aherne (2 May 190210 February 1986) was an English actor of stage, screen, radio and television, who enjoyed a long and varied career in Britain and the United States. His first Broadway appearance in ''The Barretts of W ...

and

Kay Francis Kay Francis (born Katharine Edwina Gibbs; January 13, 1905 – August 26, 1968) was an American stage and film actress. After a brief period on Broadway in the late 1920s, she moved to film and achieved her greatest success between 1930 an ...

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 ...

, American Victor Jones (Faversham) finds himself penniless and stranded in London. He meets the Earl of Rochester (Faversham), and the similarity between the two is so noticeable that even friends mistake Jones for the Earl. The Earl is estranged from his wife (Hopper) and family, owes great sums of money, and is considered in a bad light by acquaintances. He gets Jones drunk and sends him to the Rochester mansion, and then commits suicide. Until Jones receives a note written by the Earl prior to his death, he does not perceive his position. After reading the note, Jones immediately begins to pose as the Earl, but later reveals this scheme. However, he has fallen in love with the Earl's widow and they decide to reside in the United States.

Cast

as Victor Jones / Earl of Rochester *

Hedda Hopper Hedda Hopper (born Elda Furry; May 2, 1885February 1, 1966) was an American gossip columnist and actress. At the height of her influence in the 1940s, her readership was 35 million. A strong supporter of the House Un-American Activities Committ ...

as Countess of Rochester *

Violet Reed Violet Reed (born Violet Williams) was an American actress active in Hollywood during the silent era. Biography Reed was born in Chicago, Illinois, to John Williams and Hanna Mattson. Her father appears to have died when she was young. She wa ...

as Lady Plinlimon * Radcliffe Steele as Sir Patrick Spence *

Claude Payton Claude Duval Payton (March 30, 1882 in Centerville, Iowa – March 1, 1955 in Los Angeles, California) was an American actor in many silent films and other films. On stage, Claude Payton toured with the Spooner Stock Company, which was head ...

as Prince Maniloff *

Mathilde Brundage Mathilde Brundage (September 22, 1859 – May 6, 1939) was an American actress. She appeared in 87 films between 1914 and 1928. Also known as Bertha Brundage, she was born in Louisville, Kentucky. For much of her life, her family thwarted her de ...

as Rochester's Mother *

Emily Fitzroy Emily Fitzroy (24 May 1860 – 3 March 1954) was an English theatre and film actress who eventually became an American citizen. She was at one time a leading lady in London for Sir Charles Wyndham. She made her film debut in 1915. Her debut i ...

as Rochester's Aunt * Downing Clark as Rochester's Uncle

Reception

According to ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' reviewer, provided the viewer could accept that an American, with no prior knowledge of the Englishman's life, could pass for him, "Any one disposed to make the necessary assumptions may, and undoubtedly will, enjoy the photoplay, for the two leading rôles are played by William Faversham with unfailing pantomimic ability and sureness of characterization."

References

External links

* * 1920 films American silent feature films Films based on works by Henry De Vere Stacpoole Films directed by Clarence G. Badger Films directed by George D. Baker Films based on British novels Films based on Irish novels 1920 comedy-drama films 1920s English-language films American black-and-white films Lost American comedy-drama films Selznick Pictures films 1920 lost films Films set in London English-language comedy-drama films 1920s American films Silent American comedy-drama films {{silent-comedy-drama-film-stub