The Song and Dance Man is a 1926 American silent comedy drama film produced by Famous Players–Lasky and released through Paramount Pictures. It is based on a play by George M. Cohan and was directed by Herbert Brenon. A copy of the film is housed in the Library of Congress collection. Of its original seven reels, only the final five survive.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
| The Song and Dance Man | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Herbert Brenon |
| Screenplay by | Paul Schofield |
| Based on | The Song and Dance Man (play) by George M. Cohan |
| Produced by | Adolph Zukor Jesse Lasky |
| Starring | Tom Moore Bessie Love |
| Cinematography | James Wong Howe |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 70 minutes; 7 reels |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
Plot
edit"Happy" Farrell (Moore) wants to be a famous song and dance man. He befriends a young dancer, Leola (Love), who accompanies him to an audition. Leola is given a contract, but Happy is not. Happy changes careers and becomes successful, but still yearns to be a song and dance man. After three years, Leola plans to retire from dancing so that she can get married, but Happy returns to pursue his original dream. Leola is inspired by this, and her fiancé agrees to let her continue her dancing career.[7]
Cast
edit- Tom Moore as Happy Farrell
- Bessie Love as Leola Lane
- Harrison Ford as Joseph Murdock
- Norman Trevor as Charles Nelson
- Bobby Watson as Fred Carroll
- Josephine Drake as Jane Rosemond
- George Nash as Inspector Craig
- William B. Mack as Tom Crosby
- Helen Lindroth as Marsha Lane
- Jane Jennings as Ma Carroll
Reception
editThe film received mixed reviews. Although the actors were praised, the plot was criticized because the two leads were not reunited at the end of the film.[7][8]
Preservation
editAn incomplete print of The Song and Dance Man that is missing reel 1 is located in the Library of Congress.[9]
References
edit- ^ Bennett, Carl (September 8, 2014). "Progressive Silent Film List: The Song and Dance Man". silentera.com. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
- ^ Munden, Kenneth W., ed. (1971). The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States: Feature Films 1921–1930. New York: R.R. Bowker Company. p. 745. ISBN 9780520215214. OCLC 664500075.
- ^ The Song and Dance Man as produced on Broadway at the Hudson Theatre, December 31, 1923; IBDb.com
- ^ Andersen, Arne. "The Lost Films of Paramount Pictures". Lost Film Files. Archived from the original on August 22, 2015. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
- ^ The American Film Institute (1978). Catalog of Holdings: The American Film Institute Collection and The United Artists Collection at The Library of Congress. Washington. p. 170. OCLC 5102838.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ "American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: The Song and Dance Man / Herbert Brenon [motion picture]". Library of Congress – Performing Arts Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
- ^ a b "Newspaper Opinions". The Film Daily. Vol. 35, no. 31. February 7, 1926. p. 8.
- ^ "Stage and Screen". The Cornell Daily Sun. Vol. XLVI, no. 134. March 25, 1926. p. 4.
- ^ Library of Congress / FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Database: The Song and Dance Man
External links
edit