''Good Night, Paul'' is a 1918 American silent comedy romance film directed by Walter Edwards. It was based on a successful stage play with book and lyrics by Roland Oliver and Charles Dickson and music by Harry B. Olsen. The film was produced by Lewis J. Selznick's Select Pictures Corporation. The film a

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 ...

that entails a wife willing to pose as a wife of her husband's business partner as a scheme to hoodwink the business partner's uncle out of money. But the uncle's overextended visit forces schemers to keep up the charade leading to comical situations. This film is extant in a European archive, Filmoteca Espanola, Madrid.

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 ...

, Richard (Kerry) and Paul (Ford), two business partners, are about to shipwreck on the financial rocks when Richard reminds Paul that his uncle could help them out as Paul is his heir. Uncle Batiste (Steppling) is at that time on the way to New York City as he is dangerously ill and desires to see Paul. Batiste is a bachelor and wants to see Paul a happy benedict. When he arrives he tells Paul that if he were married that he would be happy to provide all the money needed for the business. Richard's bride (Talmadge) has a bright idea and decides to make the uncle believe that she is Paul's wife instead of Richard's. She locks Richard in the bathroom while she goes into the parlor to hoodwink the uncle. Paul is speechless over the situation but his need for money persuades him to be a party to the deception, given that it will only be necessary to do this for a few hours. However, the uncle is so happy with the bride that he decides to stay for a month, and returns with his trained nurse, who turns out to be Paul's boyhood sweetheart, the girl he has never been able to forget. After several complications, only a confession can clear the trouble.

Cast

Constance Talmadge Constance Alice Talmadge (April 19, 1898 – November 23, 1973) was an American silent film star. She was the sister of actresses Norma and Natalie Talmadge. Early life Talmadge was born on April 19, 1898 in Brooklyn, New York, to poor p ...

as Mrs. Richard Landers *

Harrison Ford Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. His films have grossed more than $5.4billion in North America and more than $9.3billion worldwide, making him the seventh-highest-grossing actor in North America. He is the recipient o ...

as Paul Boudeaux * Norman Kerry as Richard Landers *

Beatrice Van Beatrice Van (born Beatrice Abbott; August 8, 1890 – July 4, 1983) was an American silent film actress. She was also a screenwriter for both silent and sound films. Biography Beatrice was born to Joseph and Beatrice Abbott in Omaha, Nebr ...

as Rose Hartley * John Steppling as Batiste Boudeaux *

Rosita Marstini Rosita Marstini (September 19, 1887 – April 24, 1948) was a French dancer, stage personality, and silent and sound film actress from Nancy, France. Early life Rosita Marstini was born on September 19, 1887, in Nancy, France. She married ...

as Madame Julie *

Zasu Pitts Zasu Pitts (; January 3, 1894 – June 7, 1963) was an American actress who starred in many silent dramas, including Erich von Stroheim's epic 1924 silent film ''Greed'', and comedies, transitioning successfully to mostly comedy films with the ...

Reception

Like many American films of the time, ''Good Night, Paul'' was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. For example, the Chicago Board of Censors cut, in Reel 3, young woman in diaphanous nightgown and scene of same with group and the intertitle "What could Richard think? What could any loving husband think?"

References

External links

* *
''Good Night, Paul''
at ''New York Times'' website *{{tcmdb title, 495963 1918 films American silent feature films Films directed by Walter Edwards American films based on plays 1918 romantic comedy films American black-and-white films Selznick Pictures films 1910s American films English-language romantic comedy films Silent American romantic comedy films 1910s English-language films