AFI CATALOG OF FEATURE FILMS

THE FIRST 100 YEARS 1893–1993

Movie Title

Cast:

Carmel Myers, Rodolfo di Valentina , Charles Dorian [ More ]

Director:

Paul Powell

Writer:

Fred Myton

Production Company:

Bluebird Photoplays, Inc.
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HISTORY

The working title of this film was One Bright Idea. The actor listed as Rodolfo di Valentina later became known as Rudolph Valentino. ...

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The working title of this film was One Bright Idea. The actor listed as Rodolfo di Valentina later became known as Rudolph Valentino.

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SOURCE CITATIONS
SOURCE
DATE
PAGE
ETR
30 Nov 1918
p. 2075
MPN
12 Oct 1918
p. 2443
MPW
7 Dec 1918
p. 1115, 1123-24
NYDM
2 Aug 1918
p. 39
Variety
6 Dec 1918
p. 39
Wid's
1 Dec 1918
p. 15
CAST
NAME
CREDITED AS
CREDIT
PRODUCTION CREDITS
NAME
PARENT COMPANY
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Bluebird Photoplays, Inc.
DISTRIBUTION COMPANY
Bluebird Photoplays, Inc.
NAME
CREDITED AS
CREDIT
DIRECTOR
Paul Powell
Dir
WRITER
Fred Myton
Scen
SOURCES
LITERARY
Based on the short story "One Bright Idea" by Edgar Franklin (pseud. of Edgar Franklin Stearns) in All Story Weekly (29 Jun-20 Jul 1918).
LITERARY SOURCE AUTHOR
Edgar Franklin
DETAILS
Alternate Title:
One Bright Idea
Release Date:
30 November 1918
Production Date:

Copyright Info
Claimant
Date
Copyright Number
Bluebird Photoplays, Inc.
9 November 1918
LP13029
Physical Properties:
Silent
Black and White
Length(in reels):
5
Country:
United States
Language:
English
SYNOPSIS

The lovesick Richard Thayer asks his friend, William Harcourt, to invite the popular Elizabeth Lane to dinner so that he can romance her and hopefully propose. Having discovered that the Harcourts cannot pay their wages, the servants leave in disgust, after which eccentric millionaire Bradford, upon whose financial backing Harcourt depends, arrives unexpectedly for dinner. Panic stricken, the Harcourts convince Richard and Elizabeth to take their places while they pose as servants. At dinner, Bradford chides the "Harcourts" for their childlessness and rushes them off to bed. When Colonel Lane arrives and demands his daughter, William tells Bradford that he is insane, whereupon the millionaire locks the colonel in the closet. Finally William confesses all to Bradford, who praises the young man for his ingenuity and agrees to back him. Richard and Elizabeth, now quite well acquainted, become ...

More Less

The lovesick Richard Thayer asks his friend, William Harcourt, to invite the popular Elizabeth Lane to dinner so that he can romance her and hopefully propose. Having discovered that the Harcourts cannot pay their wages, the servants leave in disgust, after which eccentric millionaire Bradford, upon whose financial backing Harcourt depends, arrives unexpectedly for dinner. Panic stricken, the Harcourts convince Richard and Elizabeth to take their places while they pose as servants. At dinner, Bradford chides the "Harcourts" for their childlessness and rushes them off to bed. When Colonel Lane arrives and demands his daughter, William tells Bradford that he is insane, whereupon the millionaire locks the colonel in the closet. Finally William confesses all to Bradford, who praises the young man for his ingenuity and agrees to back him. Richard and Elizabeth, now quite well acquainted, become engaged.

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GENRE
Genre:
Comedy-drama


Subject
Subject (Major):
Eccentrics
Impersonation and imposture
Millionaires

Subject (Minor):
Childlessness
Houseguests
Servants
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Legend
Viewed by AFI
Partially Viewed
Offscreen Credit
Name Occurs Before Title
AFI Life Achievement Award
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Servants, Eccentrics, Millionaires, Impersonation and imposture, Childlessness, Houseguests
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.