''The Villain Still Pursued Her'' is a 1940 American

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

Edward F. Cline Edward Francis Cline (November 4, 1891 – May 22, 1961) was an American screenwriter, actor, writer and director best known for his work with comedians W.C. Fields and Buster Keaton. He was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin and died in Hollywood, Cal ...

and starring

Billy Gilbert William Gilbert Barron (September 12, 1894 – September 23, 1971), known professionally as Billy Gilbert, was an American actor and comedian. He was known for his comic sneeze routines. He appeared in over 200 feature films, short subjects a ...

and

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression ...

. It is a parody of old stage melodramas but is based primarily on ''

The Drunkard ''The Drunkard; or, The Fallen Saved'' is an American temperance play first performed on February 12, 1844.

'', a 19th-century prohibitionist play by William H. Smith that had also been lampooned in other productions, most notably in the 1934

W. C. Fields William Claude Dukenfield (January 29, 1880 – December 25, 1946), better known as W. C. Fields, was an American comedian, actor, juggler, and writer. Fields's comic persona was a misanthropic and hard-drinking egotist who remained a sympathe ...

comedy '' The Old Fashioned Way''. The overall format of the film is that of a stage play, with much dialogue spoken directly to the camera.

is notable in a speaking but minor supporting role as Dalton, a family friend.

Plot

Mary Wilson lives with her mother in a cottage but cannot pay the mortgage. Mr. Cribbs, a mustachioed villain with cloak and cane, knocks on the door and spells out the Wilsons' financial position, suggesting that Mary should work in New York. Cribbs hides while waiting for Mary to pass, but she also hides. A young man named Edward Middleton stops to pick up an injured bird and Cribbs questions him. Mary intervenes and instantly falls in love with Middleton. Mary marries Middlelton, who extols the virtues of an alcohol-free life, but Cribbs tricks him into drinking rum, and Mary smells it on his breath. Eight years later, Middlelton is a drunkard. He has hidden bottles of whiskey and is able to down an entire bottle in ten seconds. He returns home to Mary and their daughter and chops down the cherry tree that his father had planted. In New York in 1850, Middleton is living as a drunkard on the street, and Cribbs tries to trick him into deeper crime. Meanwhile, Mary lives alone in poverty with her daughter, her mother having died. Cribbs tries to press himself on Mary and she is saved by William Dalton. Back in New York, Middleton is about to be arrested for drunkenness but is saved by a comic pie fight. Middleton then encounters the philanthropist Frederick Healy, who makes him sign a pledge of sobriety. Cribbs has Middleton forge the signature of Healy on a $5,000 check and he sends a boy to the bank to cash it, but Dalton exposes the crime. Cribbs is exposed for various crimes and Middleton receives a certificate of sobriety.

Cast

Hugh Herbert Hugh Herbert (August 10, 1885 – March 12, 1952) was an American motion picture comedian. He began his career in vaudeville and wrote more than 150 plays and sketches. Career Born in Binghamton, New York, Herbert attended Cornell Univers ...

as Frederick Healy *

Anita Louise Anita Louise (born Anita Louise Fremault; January 9, 1915 – April 25, 1970) was an American film and television actress best known for her performances in ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (1935), ''The Story of Louis Pasteur'' (1935), ''Anthony ...

as Mary Wilson *

Alan Mowbray Alan Mowbray (born Alfred Ernest Allen; 18 August 1896 – 25 March 1969) was an English stage and film actor who found success in Hollywood. Early life Mowbray was born in London, England. He served with distinction in the British Army in W ...

as Mr. Cribbs *

as William Dalton *

Joyce Compton Olivia Joyce Compton (January 27, 1907 – October 13, 1997) was an American actress. Biography Compton was born in Lexington, Kentucky, the daughter of Henry and Golden Compton. (Despite frequent reports to the contrary, her name was not ...

as Hazel Dalton *

Richard Cromwell Richard Cromwell (4 October 162612 July 1712) was an English statesman who was the second and last Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland and son of the first Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell. On his father's death ...

as Edward Middleton *

as Announcer * Margaret Hamilton as Mrs. Wilson *Diane Fisher as Julia *

Franklin Pangborn Franklin Pangborn (January 23, 1889 – July 20, 1958) was an American comedic character actor famous for playing small but memorable roles with comic flair. He appeared in many Preston Sturges movies as well as the W. C. Fields films '' Interna ...

as Bartender *

Charles Judels Charles Judels (August 17, 1882 - February 14, 1969) was a Dutch-born American actor. Early years Judels was born on August 17, 1882, in Amsterdam as a third generation in a family of actors. His grandfather owned several theatres throughout th ...

as Dubois *

William Farnum William Farnum (July 4, 1876 – June 5, 1953) was an American actor. He was a star of American silent film cinema and became one of the highest-paid actors during that time. Biography Farnum was born on July 4, 1876, in Boston, Massachus ...

as Vagabond

References

External links

''The Villain Still Pursued Her''
at

IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

Full copy of the film available
at

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

''The Villain Still Pursued Her''
at

TCMDB Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie-oriented pay-TV network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasting campus in the Midtown business district of Atl ...

1940 films 1940 comedy films American comedy films Films directed by Edward F. Cline American black-and-white films RKO Pictures films 1940s American films {{1940s-comedy-film-stub

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links