''No Woman Knows'' is a 1921 American silent

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Tod Browning Tod Browning (born Charles Albert Browning Jr.; July 12, 1880 – October 6, 1962) was an American film director, film actor, screenwriter, vaudeville performer, and carnival sideshow and circus entertainer. He directed a number of films of vari ...

. It was adopted from the

Edna Ferber Edna Ferber (August 15, 1885 – April 16, 1968) was an American novelist, short story writer and playwright. Her novels include the Pulitzer Prize-winning '' So Big'' (1924), ''Show Boat'' (1926; made into the celebrated 1927 musical), '' Ci ...

story ''Fanny Herself'' (1917). A complete print of the film survives at the

Filmoteca Española The Filmoteca Española (Spanish Cinemathèque) is an official institution of the Spanish Ministry of Culture. Its objective is to restore, investigate and conserve the film heritage of Spain and its diffusion. Sites Its cinema where films are ...

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the Largest cities of the Europ ...

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 ...

, the Brandeis operate a little dry goods store in Winnebago, Wisconsin. Ferdinand (Davidson) and Molly (Marvin) are the parents and Fanny (Radom / Scott) and Theodore (Lee / Davidson) are the daughter and son, with Aloysius (Hoy) an adopted Irish youth. Theodore shows talent for the violin and under Herr Bauer (Edwards) he practices several hours each day. Schabelitz, a famous violinist, during a concert tour hears Theodore play and suggests to the Brandeis that he be sent to Europe to study. Times are poor, but Molly with the assistance of Rabbi Thalman (Warren) persuades "Papa" Brandeis that it should be done, and the Boy is sent. Molly works the store, does the housework, and looks after the children, happy in the thought that some day her boy will become famous and rescue her from drudgery. By and by Papa dies, and Fanny, grown to womanhood, denies herself all pleasures such as a new dress in order to maintain Theodore at Dresden. What they do not know is that her brother's frequent requests for money are to keep him and his wife, whom he married the first year he was abroad, from starvation. One day when Fanny is returning home from skating, the only pleasure she allows herself, she encounters tragedy in discovering her mother dead. Fanny breaks down, and unburdens her pent-up feelings. Left to her own resources she goes to Chicago and gains employment in a mail order house. Theodore, having been deserted by his wife, returns home with his baby. They take up their abode with Fanny, and she becomes attached to the youngster. Through her influence with her employer Michael Fenger (Holmes) to have Theodore give a concert and looks forward to the event as a personal triumph. However, on the evening of the event Theodore receives message from his wife asking him to return to her. He leaves a note to Fanny pinned to the telegram stating what he has done.

Cast

* Max Davidson as Ferdinand Brandeis *

Snitz Edwards Snitz Edwards (born Edward Neumann, 1 January 1868 – 1 May 1937) was a stage and character actor of the early years of the silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialog ...

as Herr Bauer * Grace Marvin as Molly Brandeis * Bernice Radom as Little Fanny Brandeis * Danny Hoy as Aloysius * E. Alyn Warren as Rabbi Thalman (credited as E.A. Warren) * Raymond Lee as Little Theodore Brandeis * Josef Swickard as The Great Schabelitz * Richard Cummings as Father Ritzpatrick * Joseph Sterns as Little Clarence Hyle * Mabel Julienne Scott as Fanny Brandeis * John Davidson as Theodore Brandeis *

Earl Schenck Earl O. Schenck (13 May 1889 – 1962) was an American film actor. He appeared in 41 films between 1916 and 1946. Career After playing leading roles on Broadway and in Hollywood during the Silent era opposite such stars as Mae Murray ...

as Clarence Hyle *

Stuart Holmes Stuart Holmes (born Joseph Liebchen; March 10, 1884 – December 29, 1971) was an American actor and sculptor whose career spanned seven decades. He appeared in almost 450 films between 1909 and 1964, sometimes credited as Stewart Holmes. Biog ...

as Michael Fenger

References

External links

* * * *Ferber, Edna (1917),
Fanny Herself
', New York: Frederick A. Stokes Co., on the Internet Archive {{DEFAULTSORT:No Woman Knows 1921 films 1921 drama films Silent American drama films American silent feature films American black-and-white films Films directed by Tod Browning Films based on works by Edna Ferber Surviving American silent films Universal Pictures films 1920s American films