''Comin' Thro the Rye'' is a 1923 British 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. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Cecil Hepworth Cecil Milton Hepworth (19 March 1874 – 9 February 1953) was a British film director, film producer, producer and screenwriter. He was among the founders of the Cinema of the United Kingdom, British film industry and continued making films ...

and starring

Alma Taylor Alma Louise Taylor (3 January 1895 – 23 January 1974) was a British actress. Life Taylor was born in London. She made her first screen appearance as a child actor in the 1907 film ''His Daughter's Voice''. She went on to appear in more th ...

and

Ralph Forbes Ralph Forbes (born Ralph Forbes Taylor; 30 September 1904 – 31 March 1951) was an English film and stage actor active in Britain and the United States. Early life Forbes was born in Wandsworth, London, the son of Ernest John "E.J." and Ethe ...

. The film was based on the 1875 novel of the same name by Helen Mathers. The title alludes to the

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the List of national poets, national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the be ...

1782 poem " Comin' Thro' the Rye". A clip of it is seen in the comedy ''

The Smallest Show on Earth ''The Smallest Show on Earth'' (US: ''Big Time Operators'') is a 1957 British comedy film, directed by Basil Dearden, and starring Bill Travers, Virginia McKenna, Peter Sellers, Margaret Rutherford and Bernard Miles. The screenplay was writ ...

'' (1957), in which the elderly staff of the old fleapit cinema tearfully watch

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

s on their evenings off.

Plot

The story of a young girl who is prevented from marrying the man she loves by the machinations of a designing woman. The plot centres on the heroine, Helen Adair, who is courted by George Tempest but who meets and falls in love with Paul Vasher. Vasher's former love Sylvia Fleming who has betrayed him, is jealous of his affections for Helen and manages by intercepting mail between the lovers to plot to win him back. While Vasher is abroad she places a false announcement of the marriage of Helen and George in the ''Times'' and in his despair at this news he agrees to marry her. Sylvia is trapped in a loveless marriage, Helen retains her virtue, Vasher never forgets his love for Helen and in a final letter from the battlefield writes to his true love telling her he will meet her 'Comin' through the rye'.

Cast

as Helen Adair *

Shayle Gardner Shayle Gardner (22 August 1890 – 17 May 1945) was a New Zealand actor. Partial filmography * '' The Indian Love Lyrics'' (1923) * '' St. Elmo'' (1923) * '' The Chinese Bungalow'' (1926) * ''Tommy Atkins'' (1928) * '' Sailors Don't Care'' (1928) ...

as Paul Vasher *

Eileen Dennes Eileen Dennes (1 February 1898 – 22 January 1991) was an Irish-born actress of the silent era. Early life and career Eileen Dennes was born Eileen Amhurst Cowen on 1 February 1898 in Dublin, Ireland. She began on the stage in the early 19 ...

as Sylvia Fleming *

as George Tempest *

James Carew James Usselman (February 5, 1876 – April 4, 1938), known professionally as James Carew, was an American actor who appeared in many films, mainly in Britain. He was born in Goshen, Indiana in 1876 and began working as a clerk in a publishing fi ...

as Col. Adair *

Francis Lister Francis Lister (2 April 1899 – 28 October 1951) was a British actor. He was married to the actresses Nora Swinburne (1924–32) and Margot Grahame (1934-36). Filmography References External links * * *ThFrancis Lister Collectionis held ...

as Dick Fellowes * Gwynne Herbert as Mrs. Adair *

Henry Vibart Henry Vibart (25 December 1863 – 30 August 1943) was a Scottish stage and film actor, active from the 1880s until the early 1930s. He appeared in many theatrical roles in the UK and overseas, and featured in over 70 films of the silent era ...

as Mr. Tempest *

Christine Rayner Christine Rayner (born 21 October 1888 — 26 September 1973) was a British actress of the silent era.

as Jane Peach *

Nancy Price Nancy Price, CBE (3 February 1880 – 31 March 1970) was an English actress on stage and screen, author, animal welfare activist and theatre director. Her acting career began in a repertory theatre company before progressing to the London stage, ...

as Mrs. Titmouse *

John MacAndrews John MacAndrews was a British actor of the silent era. Selected filmography * ''The Vicar of Wakefield'' (1913) * ''The Heart of Midlothian'' (1914) * ''The Chimes'' (1914) * '' For Her People'' (1914) * '' Far from the Madding Crowd'' (1915) * ...

as Simpkins * Margot Armstrong as Alice Adair

References

External links

*
''Comin' Thro the Rye''
at BFI Film & TV Database

at Silent Era

at Hepworth film 1923 films 1920s historical drama films Films based on British novels Films directed by Cecil Hepworth British black-and-white films British silent feature films Films set in the 19th century Hepworth Pictures films 1923 drama films 1920s English-language films 1920s British films Silent British historical drama films English-language historical drama films {{historic-film-stub

Plot

Cast

Further reading

References

External links