''The Big Idea'' is a 1917 American

short Short may refer to: Places * Short (crater), a lunar impact crater on the near side of the Moon * Short, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Short, Oklahoma, a census-designated place People * Short (surname) * List of people known as ...

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 ...

starring

Harold Lloyd Harold Clayton Lloyd, Sr. (April 20, 1893 – March 8, 1971) was an American actor, comedian, and stunt performer who appeared in many silent comedy films.Obituary ''Variety'', March 10, 1971, page 55. One of the most influential film co ...

. The film has been preserved and is available online.The Big Idea
vimeo.com

Plot

Harold, Snub and Bebe are employees at a pawn shop that is having trouble attracting customers. The boss informs Bebe that business is so slow that he will have to let her go. Both Harold and Snub are smitten by Bebe. Harold comes up with a clever way to save Bebe's job. He circulates a fake telegram stating there is an item in the pawn shop marked with a double X that contains $10,000. Harold proceeds to mark numerous items in the shop with the double X and makes sure that several people on the street accidentally see the bogus telegram. Very soon the hopeful customers come into the antique store and buy almost everything on the floor. The happy proprietor rehires Bebe. She and Snub see the phony telegram too. Snub sees the only unsold item left in the shop—a large vase—has a double X on it and buys it. Snub eagerly buys the vase before Harold can tell him about the ruse. Snub angrily smashes the vase—and finds a large sack containing $10,000. Snub and Bebe happily leave the antique shop arm in arm with the huge amount of money.

Cast

Snub Pollard Harold Fraser (9 November 1889 – 19 January 1962), known professionally as Snub Pollard, was an Australian-born vaudevillian, who became a silent film comedian in Hollywood, popular in the 1920s. Career Born in Melbourne, Australia, on 9 No ...

Bebe Daniels Phyllis Virginia "Bebe" Daniels (January 14, 1901 – March 16, 1971) was an American actress, singer, dancer, writer, and producer. She began her career in Hollywood during the silent film era as a child actress, became a star in musicals such ...

William Blaisdell William Blaisdell (April, 1865–January 1, 1931) was an American actor of both stage and screen. Among his roles on stage was the Marquis de Pontsablé in the comic opera ''Madame Favart''. He also starred in several comedic short films with H ...

Sammy Brooks Sammy Brooks (July 10, 1891 – May 16, 1951) was an American film actor. He appeared in 218 films between 1916 and 1938. He was born in New York City and died in Los Angeles, California. Selected filmography * Luke, the Candy Cut-Up (19 ...

Lige Conley Lige Conley (born Elijah Crommie; December 5, 1897 – December 11, 1937) was an American actor of the silent film, silent era. He appeared in 140 films between 1915 and 1938. Biography As Lige Crommie, the curly-haired young comedian joi ...

(credited as Lige Cromley) * Billy Fay *

William Gillespie William or Bill Gillespie may refer to: * William Gillespie (actor) (1894–1938), Scottish actor * William Gillespie (New Zealand politician) (1893–1961), New Zealand politician of the National Party * William Ernest Gillespie (1912–1967), A ...

Gus Leonard Gus "Pop" Leonard (February 4, 1859 – March 27, 1939) was an American film actor. Biography The French-born actor began his long career on the stage in San Francisco, California, while he was still a child in the 1860s. In later years, h ...

* Norman Napier * Fred C. Newmeyer *

Dorothea Wolbert Dorothea Wolbert (April 12, 1874 – September 15, 1958) was an American film actress. She appeared in more than 140 films between 1916 and 1957. She appeared on the television series ''I Love Lucy'' (with her character named Dorothea Wolbe ...

Reception

Like many American films of the time, ''The Big Idea'' was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. For example, the Chicago Board of Censors required a cut of a closeup of hands holding U.S. currency.

References

External links

*
The Big Idea (full film)
on Vimeo. 1917 films 1917 comedy films 1917 short films Silent American comedy films American silent short films American black-and-white films Films directed by Gilbert Pratt American comedy short films 1910s American films {{1910s-short-comedy-film-stub

Plot

Cast

Reception

See also

References

External links