''Brewster's Millions'' is a 1914 American
comedy film
The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...
directed by
Oscar Apfel and
Cecil B. DeMille and starring
Edward Abeles. It is an adaptation of the
1902 novel written by
George Barr McCutcheon. The novel had also been turned into a successful 1906 Broadway
play of the same name that also starred Edward Abeles. Abeles's success in the play led to his being cast in this film.
Sydney Deane
Sydney Leslie Deane (1 March 1863 – 20 March 1934) was a first-class cricketer and entertainer, and the first Australian to appear in a Cinema of the United States, Hollywood movie.
Biography In Australia
Born in Balmain, New South Wales, B ...
, who played the character of Jonas Sedgwick, made his film debut in ''Brewster's Millions'' and in doing so became the first
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
n to appear in a Hollywood film.
[Bonnell, M. (2004) "Men of Many Talents", The Journal of the Cricket Society, vol. 21, no. 4., The Cricket Society] The film is considered to be
lost.
Plot
Wealthy Edwin Peter Brewster disowns his son Robert when he marries Louise Sedgwick, a woman of modest means. Many years later, when Robert dies, however, E.P. Brewster leaves one million dollars to their son Monty, a bank clerk. Shortly thereafter, Monty learns that he has inherited seven million dollars from his Uncle George on the stipulation that Monty divest himself of his grandfather's fortune within a year, without revealing why. A further stipulation is that the money must be used only for personal expenditures. Monty spends lavishly, invests in stock and makes a bet on a prize fight, but the bet and the stocks pay off. In desperation he rents and repairs a yacht to sail around the world. At one port, Monty saves Peggy Gray, his childhood sweetheart, from abduction by an Arab sheik. On the eve of gaining possession of the money, Monty proposes to Peggy, who eagerly accepts, thinking that Monty is a pauper. Then a cable informs Monty that Swearengen Jones, his uncle's executor, has absconded with the fortune. Unperturbed, Peggy and Monty marry but then are presented with the inheritance as a wedding present by Jones, who turns out to be a practical joker.
Cast
*
Edward Abeles as Robert Brewster / Monty Brewster
*
Joseph Singleton as Edwin Peter Brewster
*
Sydney Deane
Sydney Leslie Deane (1 March 1863 – 20 March 1934) was a first-class cricketer and entertainer, and the first Australian to appear in a Cinema of the United States, Hollywood movie.
Biography In Australia
Born in Balmain, New South Wales, B ...
as Jonas Sedgwick
* Miss Bartholomew as Louise Sedgwick
*
Mabel Van Buren as Mrs. Gray
* James MacGregor as John Harrison
*
Dick La Reno as Swearengen Jones / The Sheik
* Baby La Reno as Monty Brewster, age 5
* "Baby" Carmen De Rue as Peggy Gray, age 5 (as Baby De Rue)
*
Winifred Kingston as Peggy Gray
* Bernadine Zuber as Barbara Drew
*
Monroe Salisbury as Noppier Harrison
* Maureen Rasmussen as Trixie, the actress
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brewster's Millions (1914 Film)
1914 films
1914 comedy films
1914 lost films
Silent American comedy films
American silent feature films
American black-and-white films
American films based on plays
Films about inheritances
Films based on American novels
Films directed by Cecil B. DeMille
Films directed by Oscar Apfel
Films based on multiple works
Films based on Brewster's Millions
Lost American comedy films
Paramount Pictures films
1910s American films
1910s English-language films
Lost silent American films