''Why Smith Left Home'' is a 1919 American

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

farce Farce is a comedy that seeks to entertain an audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, ridiculous, absurd, and improbable. Farce is also characterized by heavy use of physical humor; the use of deliberate absurdity o ...

directed by

Donald Crisp Donald William Crisp (27 July 188225 May 1974) was an English film actor as well as an early producer, director and screenwriter. His career lasted from the early silent film era into the 1960s. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor ...

and starring

Bryant Washburn Franklin Bryant Washburn III (April 28, 1889 – April 30, 1963) was an American film actor who appeared in more than 370 films between 1911 and 1947. Washburn's parents were Franklin Bryant Washburn II and Metha Catherine Johnson Washburn. He a ...

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 ...

produced the film with distribution through

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 ...

. This film is based on the turn of the century play, ''Why Smith Left Home'', by

George Broadhurst George Howells Broadhurst (June 3, 1866 – January 31, 1952) was an Anglo-American theatre owner/manager, director, producer and playwright. His plays were most popular from the late 1890s into the 1920s. Biography Broadhurst was born in Wal ...

. The play starred

Maclyn Arbuckle Maclyn Arbuckle (July 9, 1866 – March 31, 1931) was an American screen and stage actor. He was the brother of actor Andrew Arbuckle and cousin of comedian Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. Early life Arbuckle was born in San Antonio, Texas, on July ...

in the Washburn role. An incomplete copy of ''Why Smith Left Home'' is held at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

.The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: ''Why Smith Left Home''
/ref>

Cast

as John Brown Smith * Lois Wilson as Marian *

Mayme Kelso Mayme Kelso (February 28, 1867 – June 5, 1946) was an American actress of the silent era. She appeared in more than 70 films between 1911 and 1927. She was born in Columbus, Ohio, and died in South Pasadena, California from a heart attack ...

as Aunt Mary *

Winter Hall Winter Hall (21 June 1872 – 10 February 1947) was a New Zealand actor of the silent era who later appeared in sound films. He performed in more than 120 films between 1916 and 1938. Prior to that, he had a career as a stage actor in Austr ...

as The General *

Walter Hiers Walter Hiers (July 18, 1893 – February 27, 1933) was an American silent film actor. Biography Born in 1893, during his two decade-long acting career spanning from 1912 to 1932, Hiers acted in 101 films. He was a particularly prolific actor w ...

as Bob White *

Margaret Loomis Margaret Loomis (1893–1969) was an American film actress of the silent era.Goble p.239 Loomis was an only child. In addition to her acting, Loomis was a Denishawn dancer. She toured the United States as a member of the Denishawn School's ini ...

as Julie *

Carrie Clark Ward Carrie Clark Ward (January 9, 1862 – February 6, 1926) was an American actress of the silent era. Biography Ward was born in Virginia City, Nevada, in 1862. In 1885 Clark acted in a company at the San Francisco Bush Street Theatre. Wa ...

as Lavina

References

External links

* * 1919 films American silent feature films American films based on plays Paramount Pictures films Films directed by Donald Crisp 1919 comedy films Silent American comedy films American black-and-white films 1910s American films {{1910s-comedy-film-stub