''Excuse My Dust!'' is a surviving 1920 American silent comedy-drama film 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 ...

. It is based upon a

Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine, currently published six times a year. It was issued weekly under this title from 1897 until 1963, then every two weeks until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely ...

short story "The Bear Trap" by Byron Morgan.

Sam Wood Samuel Grosvenor Wood (July 10, 1883 – September 22, 1949) was an American film director and producer who is best known for having directed such Hollywood hits as '' A Night at the Opera'', '' A Day at the Races'', '' Goodbye, Mr. Chips'', '' ...

directed

Wallace Reid William Wallace Halleck Reid (April 15, 1891 – January 18, 1923) was an American actor in silent film, referred to as "the screen's most perfect lover". He also had a brief career as a racing driver. Early life Reid was born in St. Louis, M ...

. Reid's young son, Wallace Jr., makes his first screen appearance here. This film is preserved in 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 libra ...

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 ...

, "Toodles" Walton (Reid), former automobile racer, has promised his wife Dorothy (Little) that he will refrain from speeding. But he gives into temptation and, through the influence of his father-in-law Mr. Ward (Roberts), the judge deprives him of the right to pilot a car for six months. Troubled times follow Toodles. He nearly runs over and kills his child, his wife leaves him, and his father-in-law's automobile business, of which he is manager, is being plotted against by its competitors. An automobile race from Los Angeles to San Francisco is planned by the competitors in hope of obtaining the plans of Ward's new motor. A midnight auto race, a collision, and an exciting finish puts Toodles in San Francisco, where his child is ill. The competing company fails in its scheme and Toodles' wife forgives him.

Cast

as 'Toodles' Walton *

Wallace Reid Jr. William Wallace Reid Jr. (June 18, 1917 – February 28, 1990) was an American actor. The son of actors Dorothy Davenport and Wallace Reid, Wallace Reid Sr., he appeared in ten films between 1920 and 1943, later becoming an architect. Reid was b ...

as 'Toodles' Jr. *

Ann Little Ann Little (born Mary Hankins Brooks; February 7, 1891 – May 21, 1984), also known as Anna Little, was an American film actress whose career was most prolific during the silent film era of the early 1910s through the early 1920s. Today, mos ...

as Dorothy Ward Walden *

Theodore Roberts Theodore Roberts (October 8, 1861 – December 14, 1928) was an American film and stage actor. Early life Roberts was born in San Francisco, California. He was a cousin of the stage actress Florence Roberts. His choice of a career disapp ...

as J.D. Ward *

Guy Oliver George Guy Oliver (September 25, 1878 – September 1, 1932) was an American actor. He appeared in at least 189 silent film era motion pictures and 32 talkies in character roles between 1911 and 1931. His obituary gives him credit for at l ...

as Darby *

Otto Brower Otto Brower (December 2, 1890 – January 25, 1946) was an American film director. He directed more than 40 films between 1928 and 1946. He was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and died in Hollywood, California, from a heart attack. Filmogra ...

as Max Henderson *

Tully Marshall Tully Marshall (born William Phillips; April 10, 1864 – March 10, 1943) was an American character actor. He had nearly a quarter century of theatrical experience before his debut film appearance in 1914 which led to a film career spanning alm ...

as President Mutchler * Walter Long as Ritz ''unbilled'' * James Gordon as Griggs *Jack Herbert as Oldham *

Fred Huntley Fred Huntley (29 August 1862 in London, England – 1 November 1931 in Hollywood, California) was an English silent film actor and director. Fred Huntley made his theater debut at London's Covent Garden in 1879. After years as the leadin ...

as Police Magistrate *Byron Morgan (minor role) *Will M. Ritchey (minor role)

References

External links

* * 1920 films American silent feature films American auto racing films American black-and-white films Films directed by Sam Wood Films based on short fiction Famous Players-Lasky films 1920 comedy-drama films 1920s American films Silent American comedy-drama films 1920s English-language films {{silent-comedy-drama-film-stub

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links