''Civilian Clothes'' is a surviving 1920 American silent

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 ...

produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed by

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 ...

. It stars

Thomas Meighan Thomas Meighan (April 9, 1879 – July 8, 1936) was an American actor of silent films and early talkies. He played several leading-man roles opposite popular actresses of the day, including Mary Pickford and Gloria Swanson. At one point he made ...

and was directed by Hugh Ford. This film is based on the 1919 Broadway play, ''Civilian Clothes'', by Thompson Buchanan.

Thurston Hall Ernest Thurston Hall (May 10, 1882 – February 20, 1958) was an American film, stage and television actor.Aylesworth, Thomas G. and Bowman, John S. (1987). ''The World Almanac Who's Who of Film''. World Almanac. . Pp. 186-187. Career Stag ...

played Meighan's part in the play.

Plot

As described in a

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, Florence Lanham (Mansfield), married in France while a Salvation Army worker to Captain Sam McGinnis (Meighan), returns to society life in America after receiving word that he was killed in battle. She keeps news of her wedding secret and permits the attentions of Billy Arkwright (Hickman), an early lover. When McGinnis suddenly appears on the scene, clothed in startlingly bold habiliments, the Lanham stubbornness asserts itself. To impart upon her his own gospel of democracy, McGinnis obtains the place of a discharged butler in the Lanham household. With the help of a former Colonel and a lively young widow, he succeeds in his plan to teach her a lesson about her snobbishness, completely conquering and humbling the young wife, who finds that, after all, the clothes make little difference to the depth of real love.

Cast

as Captain Sam McGinnis * Martha Mansfield as Florence Lanham *

Maude Turner Gordon Maude Turner Gordon (November 10, 1868 – January 12, 1940) was an American actress who appeared in 81 films between 1914 and 1938. Biography Born in Franklin, Indiana, Gordon was the daughter of Alexander and Nancy (Wright) Turner. She ...

as Mrs. Lanham * Alfred Hickman as William Arkwright * Frank Losee as Walter Dumont * Marie Shotwell as Mrs. Smythe * Warren Cook as Mr. Lanham *

Albert Gran Albert Gran (August 4, 1862 – December 16, 1932) was a Norwegian-born American stage and film actor. He is most associated with his appearance in drama and light comedy films. Biography Albert Gran was born in Bergen, Norway. He was the s ...

as Dodson *Isabelle Garrison as Mrs. Arkwright *Halbert Brown as Major General Girard *Kathryn Hildreth as Elizabeth Lanham

Preservation

A complete print of ''Civilian Clothes'' is held by

Gosfilmofond Gosfilmofond is a state film archive in Russia. It is the main film archive of the Russian Federation and a member of the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF). It is a state cultural institution — curator of films collection and ot ...

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

.The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: ''Civilian Clothes''
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References

External links

* 1920 films American silent feature films American films based on plays Films directed by Hugh Ford Paramount Pictures films 1920 comedy films Silent American comedy films American black-and-white films 1920s American films {{1920s-silent-comedy-film-stub