''Believe Me, Xantippe'' is a lost 1918 American silent

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...

film produced by

Jesse Lasky Jesse Louis Lasky (September 13, 1880 – January 13, 1958) was an American pioneer Film producer, motion picture producer who was a key founder of what was to become Paramount Pictures, and father of screenwriter Jesse L. Lasky Jr. Early life ...

for release through

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

. The film was directed by actor/director

Donald Crisp Donald William Crisp (27 July 188225 May 1974) was an English people, 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 S ...

and stars

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. Lou ...

and Ann Little. The film is based on a 1913 William A. Brady-produced play ''Believe Me Xantippe'' by John Frederick Ballard, which on the Broadway stage had starred

John Barrymore John Barrymore (born John Sidney Blyth; February 14 or 15, 1882 – May 29, 1942) was an American actor on stage, screen, and radio. A member of the Drew and Barrymore theatrical families, he initially tried to avoid the stage, and briefly a ...

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 ...

, George MacFarland (Reid) makes a bet with two of his friends that, having committed a forgery, he will be able to elude the officers of the law for one year. As his friends are very thorough, he does not find it an easy matter getting around town. He finally goes to a small town in the west where he lives unmolested for eleven months. On a hunting expedition he meets Dolly Kamman (Little), daughter of Sheriff Kamman (Beery), who takes George to meet her father. As Dolly has fallen in love with George's photograph, he is a somewhat privileged prisoner. On the day the bet is off George hears that his friends have drowned and he is sure he is to be sent to

Sing Sing Sing Sing Correctional Facility is a maximum-security prison for men operated by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision in the village of Ossining (village), New York, Ossining, New York, United States. It is abou ...

. The arrival of the boys, however, changes things, and in addition to being set free George wins Dolly.

Cast

as George MacFarland (portrayed by John Barrymore on stage) * Ann Little as Dolly Kamman (portrayed by Mary Young on stage) *

Ernest Joy Ernest C. Joy (January 20, 1878 – February 12, 1924) was an American stage and film actor of the silent era. He appeared in 76 films between 1911 and 1920. Selected filmography * '' Article 47, L (1913) * '' Salomy Jane'' (1914) * '' ...

as Thornton Brown *Henry Woodward as Arthur Sole *

Noah Beery Noah Nicholas Beery (January 17, 1882 – April 1, 1946) was an American actor who appeared in films from 1913 until his death in 1946. He was the older brother of Academy Award-winning actor Wallace Beery as well as the father of characte ...

as Sheriff Kamman (portrayed by

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 disap ...

on stage) *

James Cruze James Cruze (born Jens Cruz Bosen;Sadoul, Georges (1972). Dictionary of Films'. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. p. 53. . See also: * Parish, James Robert; Pitts, Michael R. (1974). Film Directors: A Guide to Their American Fi ...

as Simp Calloway (portrayed by Frank Campeau on stage) * Winifred Greenwood as Violette * Jim Farley as Detective Thorne * Charles Ogle as Wren Wrigley *

Clarence Geldart Clarence Geldart (June 9, 1867 – May 13, 1935) was an American film actor. He appeared in 127 films between 1915 and 1936. He was sometimes credited as C.H. Geldart or Charles H. Geldart. He was born in New Brunswick, Canada, and died i ...

as William

References

External links

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lobby poster
1918 films 1918 romantic comedy films American silent feature films American black-and-white films Famous Players-Lasky films American films based on plays Films directed by Donald Crisp Films set in Colorado Paramount Pictures films Lost American romantic comedy films 1918 lost films 1910s American films Silent American romantic comedy films 1910s English-language films {{1910s-US-film-stub