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HISTORY

The 13 April 1918 Motion Picture News announced that Frank Keenan's company was "at work on a situation comedy titled More Trouble....This picture will be finished within the next few days." A months later, the 18 May 1918 Exhibitors Herald reported that Keenan was completing More Trouble. Filming was done at the Paralta studio located at the Robert Brunton Studios, 5341 Melrose Avenue, in Hollywood, CA. The 8 June 1918 Moving Picture World gave this description of the story: "More Trouble is something entirely new, not only for Frank Keenan, but for the screen—a comedy-drama, almost a farce-comedy, in which there is not a single comedy character, in which every person is properly serious and in which the events that throw them together, following in rapid succession, create one laughable situation after another."
       The Exhibitors Herald and Motography noted that the Chicago Board of Censors asked for only one cut: "Reel 5, three scenes of attack on policeman."
       Film Fun ran a page of five photographs from the picture.
       More Trouble was pre-released at the Rivoli Theatre, 1620 Broadway, in New York City during the week of 26 May 1918, despite its regular release date being over a month away, the 8 June 1918 Moving Picture World reported. The film returned to the Rivoli for its regular opening on 14 July 1918. Reviews were uniformly glowing, and sales were brisk. According to Motography, "This ought to make any audience happy, because the plot is rather original and Keenan is even better as a comedian than as ...

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The 13 April 1918 Motion Picture News announced that Frank Keenan's company was "at work on a situation comedy titled More Trouble....This picture will be finished within the next few days." A months later, the 18 May 1918 Exhibitors Herald reported that Keenan was completing More Trouble. Filming was done at the Paralta studio located at the Robert Brunton Studios, 5341 Melrose Avenue, in Hollywood, CA. The 8 June 1918 Moving Picture World gave this description of the story: "More Trouble is something entirely new, not only for Frank Keenan, but for the screen—a comedy-drama, almost a farce-comedy, in which there is not a single comedy character, in which every person is properly serious and in which the events that throw them together, following in rapid succession, create one laughable situation after another."
       The Exhibitors Herald and Motography noted that the Chicago Board of Censors asked for only one cut: "Reel 5, three scenes of attack on policeman."
       Film Fun ran a page of five photographs from the picture.
       More Trouble was pre-released at the Rivoli Theatre, 1620 Broadway, in New York City during the week of 26 May 1918, despite its regular release date being over a month away, the 8 June 1918 Moving Picture World reported. The film returned to the Rivoli for its regular opening on 14 July 1918. Reviews were uniformly glowing, and sales were brisk. According to Motography, "This ought to make any audience happy, because the plot is rather original and Keenan is even better as a comedian than as a tragedian, and his troubles come thick and fast....[T]he beautiful settings make the fun all the more hilarious."
       Besides supplying scripts to film companies, Ouida Bergere worked as a casting director, actors agent, and publicist, according to a profile in the 4 May 1918 Moving Picture World. At the time of this picture, she was planning to open a Los Angeles office in addition to her New York office.
       Wid's listed the scenarist as Jack Cunningham. The MPSD credited Jules Furthman as the scenarist, as does at least one modern source. Most reviews, however, credited Ouida Bergère. Various release dates were listed in reviews.
       The National Film Preservation Board (NFPB) included this film on its list of Lost U.S. Silent Feature Films as of February 2021.

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GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS
SOURCE CITATIONS
SOURCE
DATE
PAGE
Billboard
15 Jun 1918
p. 58
Exhibitors Herald
18 May 1918
p. 30
Exhibitors Herald
13 Jul 1918
p. 29
Exhibitors Herald and Motography
27 Jul 1918
p. 43
Exhibitors Trade Review
8 Jun 1918
p. 49
Exhibitors Trade Review
3 Aug 1918
---
Film Fun
Aug 1918
p. 23
Motion Picture News
13 Apr 1918
p. 2248
Motion Picture News
15 Jun 1918
p. 3547
Motion Picture News
22 Jun 1918
p. 3737, 3738
Motion Picture News
27 Jul 1918
p. 523
Motography
15 Jun 1918
p. 1143
Moving Picture World
4 May 1918
p. 726
Moving Picture World
8 Jun 1918
p. 1420
Moving Picture World
15 Jun 1918
p. 1615
Moving Picture World
6 Jul 1918
p. 26
Moving Picture World
20 Jul 1918
p. 439, 462
NYDM
8 Jun 1918
p. 813
NYDM
27 Jul 1918
p. 129
New York Times
27 May 1918
p. 11
The Star Press [Muncie, IN]
14 Jul 1918
p. 17
Variety
31 May 1918
p. 29
Wid's
2 Jun 1918
p. 27-28
DETAILS
Release Date:
14 July 1918
Premiere Information:
New York City "advanced release": 28 May 1918; Muncie, IN, opening: 14 July 1918
Production Date:

Copyright Info
Claimant
Date
Copyright Number
Pathé Exchange, Inc.
21 June 1918
LU12563
Physical Properties:
Silent
Black and White
Length(in feet):
5,000
Length(in reels):
5
Country:
United States
Language:
English
SYNOPSIS

Lemuel Deering's son Harvey graduates from college at the top of his class and returns home to become a partner in his father's steel business. Because Harvey appears to be an exemplary young man who neither drinks nor smokes, when bills from liquor dealers, tobacconists and billiard emporia pour in, the proud father is mystified. Harvey stoutly denies having contracted the bills, including one for $25,000, and Lemuel, though puzzled, believes him until the workers threaten to strike and the bank places an attachment on the mill. Lemuel is about to disown his son when Harold Morrowton, Harvey's college roommate, confesses that he forged Harvey's name to the bills because his own father refused to give him spending money, and Harvey adds that because the two were fraternity brothers, he could not betray Harold's trust. Exasperated, Lemuel orders both young men to pay their debts through hard labor in the ...

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Lemuel Deering's son Harvey graduates from college at the top of his class and returns home to become a partner in his father's steel business. Because Harvey appears to be an exemplary young man who neither drinks nor smokes, when bills from liquor dealers, tobacconists and billiard emporia pour in, the proud father is mystified. Harvey stoutly denies having contracted the bills, including one for $25,000, and Lemuel, though puzzled, believes him until the workers threaten to strike and the bank places an attachment on the mill. Lemuel is about to disown his son when Harold Morrowton, Harvey's college roommate, confesses that he forged Harvey's name to the bills because his own father refused to give him spending money, and Harvey adds that because the two were fraternity brothers, he could not betray Harold's trust. Exasperated, Lemuel orders both young men to pay their debts through hard labor in the mill.

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Legend
Viewed by AFI
Partially Viewed
Offscreen Credit
Name Occurs Before Title
AFI Life Achievement Award

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The American Film Institute is grateful to Sir Paul Getty KBE and the Sir Paul Getty KBE Estate for their dedication to the art of the moving image and their support for the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and without whose support AFI would not have been able to achieve this historical landmark in this epic scholarly endeavor.