''The Red Widow'' 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 ...

1916 American silent

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...

film directed by James Durkin, produced by

Famous Players-Lasky Famous Players-Lasky Corporation was an American motion picture and distribution company formed on June 28, 1916, from the merger of Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Film Company—originally formed by Zukor as Famous Players in Famous Plays—and t ...

, and distributed by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

. The film was based on a 1911 Broadway musical play ''The Red Widow'' by Channing Pollock and Rennold Wolf and starring comedian Raymond Hitchcock.

John Barrymore John Barrymore (born John Sidney Blyth; February 14 or 15, 1882 – May 29, 1942) was an American actor on stage, screen and radio. A member of the Drew and Barrymore theatrical families, he initially tried to avoid the stage, and briefly att ...

stars in this film in the Hitchcock part of Cicero Butts. Hitchcock's wife,

Flora Zabelle Flora Zabelle (born Zabelle Mangasarian, April 1, 1880 – October 7, 1968) was a Broadway theatre, Broadway actress who appeared in several early silent films. Early years Zabelle was born in Constantinople, Ottoman Empire (now Istanbul, Turke ...

, is the leading lady in this film.

Cast

as Cicero Hannibal Butts * Flora Zabelle Hitchcock as Anna Varvara (credited as Flora Zabelle) *John Hendricks as Baron Strickoutvich *Eugene Redding as Ivan Scorpioff *Millard Benson as Basil Romanoff *George E. Mack as Popova *Lillian Tucker as Mrs. Butts *E.L. Fernandez as Captain Roman (credited as Mr. Fernandez) ''unbilled'' *

John Goldsworthy John Goldsworthy (1884–1958) was a British-born stage and film actor. After emigrating to the United States he was active on Broadway appearing in a variety of plays, as well as several musicals.Bordman p.460 During the silent era he appeared ...

Production

This particular comedy film was shot twice. The negative for the first version of ''The Red Widow'' burned up in a nitrate fire before the distribution prints could be made. This was probably the same

Famous Players Famous Players Limited Partnership, DBA Famous Players, is a Canadian-based subsidiary of Cineplex Entertainment. As an independent company, it existed as a film exhibitor and cable television service provider. Famous Players operated numerous m ...

fire of September 11, 1915, that destroyed the first version of

Mary Pickford Gladys Marie Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American stage and screen actress and producer with a career that spanned five decades. A pioneer in the US film industry, she co-founde ...

's '' Esmeralda'' (1915). Barrymore and the cast reshot the film for no salary.''The Barrymores in Hollywood'' by James Kotsilibas Davis, c.1981

References

External links

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Period promotional photo of John Barrymore with reverse-side info on ''The Red Widow'' filmMovie poster / trade or press sheet
(archived) 1910s romantic comedy films 1916 lost films 1916 films American black-and-white films American romantic comedy films American films based on plays American silent feature films Famous Players-Lasky films Lost American films Lost romantic comedy films 1916 comedy films 1910s American films Silent romantic comedy films Silent American comedy films 1910s English-language films {{1910s-comedy-film-stub