''The World's Champion'' is a 1922 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. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

produced by

Famous Players–Lasky The Famous Players–Lasky Corporation was an American motion picture and distribution company formed on June 28, 1916, from the merger of Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Film Companyoriginally formed by Zukor as Famous Players in Famous Playsan ...

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 ...

. The movie is based on the play ''The Champion'' by Thomas Louden and A.E. Thomas that was produced on Broadway in 1921. The film was directed by

Phil Rosen Philip E. Rosen (May 8, 1888 – October 22, 1951) was an American film director and cinematographer. He directed more than 140 films between 1915 and 1949. He was born in Malbork, Marienburg, German Empire (now, Malbork, Poland), grew up ...

and starred

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 ...

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 ...

, William Burroughs (Reid) is the youngest son of an ambitious middle class English grocer trying to climb to a higher social plane. His two brothers are chips off the old block, but William has always been a thorn in his father's side. The story opens with William fighting on the estate of Lord Brockington (Sandford), a portly member of the aristocracy. The Lord's pretty cousin Lady Elizabeth (Wilson) gets her fishing line entangled with that of the grocer's son, and they are making fast headway towards friendship when Brockington discovers them. Having an eye on Lady Elizabeth for himself, the Lord orders William off his land, treating him rough to the extent of knocking him down several times before Lady Elizabeth returns to object. William escorts Lady Elizabeth home, much to the anger of the Lord. William later bids the young woman goodbye, asking her not to marry until he returns with the fortune he is determined to win. William does a Romeo act, which provides situations for good comedy. William smuggles himself on a liner bound for the United States, and meets an Irish pugilist who teaches him during the way across the gentle art of knocking a man out cold. Five years elapse and William returns to his home as "Gunboat" Williams, middleweight champion of the world. This is the final and most awful disgrace in the eyes of his social climbing father, and he orders William away. Just as William is about to leave, the home is besieged by the mayor backed a bunch of haughty earls and lords, who want to know why the grocer is keeping secret the fact that he raised the middleweight champion. Now the father discovers a great pride in saying "my son." Lady Elizabeth is acting as the social secretary for the father and, when Lord Brockington comes to take her away, William sees his chance to get even. The fight occurs outside of the home, and William returns the victor in the battle and of the affections of Lady Elizabeth.

Cast

as William Burroughs * Lois Wilson as Lady Elizabeth *

Lionel Belmore Lionel Belmore (12 May 1867 – 30 January 1953) was an English character actor and director on stage for more than a quarter of a century. Life and career Onstage, Belmore appeared with Wilson Barrett, Sir Henry Irving, William Faversham, Lil ...

as John Burroughs *Henry Miller, Jr. as George Burroughs *

Helen Dunbar Helen Dunbar (born Katheryn Burke Lackey; October 10, 1863 – August 28, 1933) was an American theatrical performer and silent film actress. Career Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Dunbar first appeared with the Weber & Fields Stock Co ...

as Mrs. Burroughs *Leslie Casey as Reverend David Burroughs *

Tiny Sandford Stanley J. "Tiny" Sandford (February 26, 1894October 29, 1961) was an American actor who is best remembered for his roles in Laurel and Hardy and Charlie Chaplin films. His tall, burly physique usually led him to be cast as a comic heavy, and ...

as Lord Brockington (credited as Stanley J. Sandford) *

William J. Ferguson William J. Ferguson, also known as W. J. Ferguson, (June 8, 1845, Baltimore – May 3, 1930, Pikesville, Maryland) was an American stage and silent film actor. Ferguson was an actor on Broadway from 1885 through 1920 after having already worked in ...

as Butler (credited as W.J. Ferguson) *

Guy Oliver George Guy Oliver (September 25, 1878 – September 1, 1932) was an American actor. He appeared in at least 189 silent film era motion pictures and 32 talkies in character roles between 1911 and 1931. His obituary gives him credit for at least ...

as Mooney *

Norman Selby Charles "Kid" McCoy (October 13, 1872 – April 18, 1940), born Norman Selby, was an American boxing, boxer and early Hollywood actor. He claimed the vacant List of world middleweight boxing champions, world middleweight title when he scored an ...

(Kid McCoy)

Preservation

This film survives in an incomplete form with three of five reels existing at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

References

External links

*
Period lobby posterlobby card
{{DEFAULTSORT:World's Champion, The 1922 films American silent feature films Films directed by Phil Rosen American films based on plays Famous Players-Lasky films 1922 drama films Silent American drama films American black-and-white films 1920s American films 1920s English-language films English-language drama films

Plot

Cast

Preservation

See also

References

External links