Buck Privates (1928)
Comedy | 29 January 1928
Director:
Melville BrownWriters:
John B. Clymer, Melville Brown, Lieut. Stuart N. LakeCinematographer:
John StumarEditors:
Frank Atkinson, Ray CurtissProduction Company:
Universal Pictures Corp.An item in the 20 May 1927 Motion Picture News announced the casting of Hungarian actress Lya De Putti, and identified story writer Lieut. Stuart N. Lake as a former newspaper writer and army officer. Lake’s original story for Buck Privates was titled “Let’s Go Home,” according to the 30 Jan 1928 [Brooklyn, NY] Standard Union.
The 20 May 1927 Film Daily stated that filming would begin the next week. An item in the 9 Sep 1927 Motion Picture News reported that Buck Privates was the second of three American films De Putti had contracted to make with Universal Pictures Corp., following Midnight Rose (1928, see entry). After the completion of the third (unnamed) production, De Putti planned to travel to Germany to act in a Phoebus Films picture.
Robert Fischer was listed as a cast member, and Robert Wyler as the unit production supervisor, in the 22 May 1927 and 11 Jul 1927 issues of Film Daily.
An item in the 30 Jun 1927 Film Daily announced that production had recently ended. Editing followed at Universal’s studio in Universal City, CA, where filming likely took place.
A premiere at the Granada Theatre in Santa Barbara, CA, occurred sometime in early or mid-Aug 1927, according to the 20 Aug 1927 Exhibitors Herald, which noted that a general release was not scheduled to take place until Apr 1928. Soon after, the 27 Aug 1927 Exhibitors Herald listed a 6 Nov 1927 release date. However, the film likely did not open prior to ...
An item in the 20 May 1927 Motion Picture News announced the casting of Hungarian actress Lya De Putti, and identified story writer Lieut. Stuart N. Lake as a former newspaper writer and army officer. Lake’s original story for Buck Privates was titled “Let’s Go Home,” according to the 30 Jan 1928 [Brooklyn, NY] Standard Union.
The 20 May 1927 Film Daily stated that filming would begin the next week. An item in the 9 Sep 1927 Motion Picture News reported that Buck Privates was the second of three American films De Putti had contracted to make with Universal Pictures Corp., following Midnight Rose (1928, see entry). After the completion of the third (unnamed) production, De Putti planned to travel to Germany to act in a Phoebus Films picture.
Robert Fischer was listed as a cast member, and Robert Wyler as the unit production supervisor, in the 22 May 1927 and 11 Jul 1927 issues of Film Daily.
An item in the 30 Jun 1927 Film Daily announced that production had recently ended. Editing followed at Universal’s studio in Universal City, CA, where filming likely took place.
A premiere at the Granada Theatre in Santa Barbara, CA, occurred sometime in early or mid-Aug 1927, according to the 20 Aug 1927 Exhibitors Herald, which noted that a general release was not scheduled to take place until Apr 1928. Soon after, the 27 Aug 1927 Exhibitors Herald listed a 6 Nov 1927 release date. However, the film likely did not open prior to its New York City release on 29 Jan 1928. Shortly before, a free preview screening in Memphis, TN, was attended by 3,000 viewers, according to an item in the 22 Jan 1928 Film Daily, which reported that the film had accidentally been projected backwards, with the right side of the image appearing on the left side of the screen.
According to the Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Database, this film is extant.
John Smith, an American buck private in an occupied German village, is smitten with Annie, the leading citizen's daughter, who is equally admired by Sergeant Butts, his enemy. John is quartered in Annie's home, and he recognizes her father as an officer he took prisoner under amusing conditions before the Armistice, but he himself is not recognized by the father until decorated for bravery. Army officers issue a general order against fraternizing, with court-martial as a penalty. John and Annie meet secretly in the garden, where they are discovered by Butts; as a result, Annie's indignant father cuts her hair. Butts agrees to cancel the court-martial if Annie marries him; she prevails upon the willing Hulda to take her place in the ceremony, while she and John escape on a ...
John Smith, an American buck private in an occupied German village, is smitten with Annie, the leading citizen's daughter, who is equally admired by Sergeant Butts, his enemy. John is quartered in Annie's home, and he recognizes her father as an officer he took prisoner under amusing conditions before the Armistice, but he himself is not recognized by the father until decorated for bravery. Army officers issue a general order against fraternizing, with court-martial as a penalty. John and Annie meet secretly in the garden, where they are discovered by Butts; as a result, Annie's indignant father cuts her hair. Butts agrees to cancel the court-martial if Annie marries him; she prevails upon the willing Hulda to take her place in the ceremony, while she and John escape on a motorcycle.
Viewed by AFI
Partially Viewed
Offscreen Credit
Name Occurs Before Title
AFI Life Achievement AwardTOP SEARCHES
That Forsyte Woman
The working title for this film was The Forsyte Saga . According to a pre-release news item in Time magazine, M-G-M decided to change the title ... >>
Loophole
This film's working title was Off the Record . A HR production chart adds Don Harvey to the cast but his appearance in the released film ... >>
East of Eden
An overture precedes the film. The opening title card reads: “John Steinbeck’s East of Eden .” The following written prologue appears after the opening credits: ... >>
