Thomas Jefferson Movies

Ten Nights In a Bar-room is as corny and hackneyed as its title, but that doesn't mean it isn't fun to watch. Based on the warhorse cautionary stage play by Edwin Waugh (previously filmed six times during the silent era), the story concerns Joe Morgan (William Farnum), a highly respected business executive and family man who throws his life away by consuming mass quantities of booze. His sweet little daughter Mary Morgan (Patty Lou Lynd) wanders into the saloon, tugs her tosspot father by his tattered sleeve and whines "Daddy, won't you come home with me now?" This proves to be the first step (of 12, perhaps?) towards Morgan's redemption, but first he has a score to settle with Simon Slade (Tom Santschi), the double-dyed villain who dragged him to degragadation. The film's highlight is a knock-down, drag-out fistfight between William Farnum and Tom Santschi, in emulation of their famous battle in 1914's The Spoilers. Ten Nights In a Bar-Room was distributed through the auspices of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, who were blissfully unaware that audiences were more prone to laugh at the antiquated production rather than renounce Demon Rum. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Lightnin' is based on the 1918 stage play by Winchell Smith and Frank Bacon, in which Bacon (the father of director Lloyd Bacon) had starred for years on Broadway and "the road." Will Rogers steps into the leading role as "Lightnin'" Bill Jones, the slow-moving husband of Mary Jones (Louise Dresser). Mr. and Mrs. Jones are co-owners of a hotel built right on the borderline between California and Nevada, used as the temporary home of divorcing wives so that they may pretend to be in the "California" half of the hotel while establishing residency in the "Nevada" half. Lightnin' befriends lawyer John Marvin (Joel McCrea), at present residing in the California half to avoid arrest on a trumped-charge. When Lightnin' refuses to sell his share of the hotel to a gang of stock crooks headed by Raymond Thomas (Jason Robards Sr.), Mary is coerced into divorcing her husband so that she can sign over the deed herself. In the semi-serious courtroom finale, Lightnin' not only convinces Mary that she's still in love with him but also manages to clear John Marvin's name. Director Henry King clearly exercised no control over Will Rogers, whose incessant ad-libbing, amusing though it is, slows the film to a crawl. Still, Lightnin' proved to be just as successful as any other Rogers talkie vehicle, proving that audiences came to see the star and not the story. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This early talkie antique is a backstage musical from Warner Bros. The plot involves the out-of-town tryout of a new musical comedy, and the people who perform therein: a bitchy leading lady (Betty Compson), an arrogant comedy lead (Joe E. Brown), and a starstruck chorus kid (Sally O'Neil). At the very last moment, the leading lady refuses to go on, forcing the producer to put the chorus girl in her place. It turns out that the star's seemingly rotten behavior was deliberately designed to give the chorine her big break. In between several Technicolor musical numbers (now only existing in black-and-white), we hear a lot of pedantic talk about "the show business." On with the Show's sole virtue is the exquisite Ethel Waters, who introduces her hit song "Am I Blue?" ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

It's Harry Carey versus Noah Beery in this amusing Western, released during the November elections, 1922. S.S. Thorpe (Beery) realizes that J. Wesley Pringle (Carey) is likely to beat him out for the position of sheriff, but plans to use any means, no matter how dirty, to keep this from happening. Simon Hibbler (Thomas Jefferson) is Pringle's biggest supporter, with the possible exception of his daughter, Georgie (Vola Vale). He also has a friend in Fite (Tully Marshall), a woefully henpecked husband whom Pringle saved from suicide. Thorpe knocks Pringle off a cliff, and when this doesn't kill him, he tries to kidnap him and frame him for murder. With Fite's help, Pringle escapes and he bribes Thorpe's Turkish masseuse into changing places with him. Then he rescues Georgie, fights off a bunch of varmints and gets back to town in time to win the election. Thorpe winds up behind bars and the new sheriff weds Georgie. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

Charlie Chaplin's talented brother Sydney enjoyed moderate box-office success as star of a series of Warner Bros. features in the late 1920s. Sydney's Fortune Hunter was based on a play by Winchell Smith, which had starred John Barrymore on Broadway and which had previously been filmed in 1914 with William Elliot in the lead. Chaplin plays Nat Duncan, an impoverished socialite who hopes to land a rich spouse. His partner in "crime" is his pal Handsome Harry West (Duke Martin), who intends to share the monetary rewards of Nat's marriage. The plan is scotched when Nat falls for just-getting-by soda shop owner Josie Lockwood (Helene Costello). The film's best bit finds the lovestruck Nat subbing for Josie at the soda fountain; when a customer asks for a cigar, the absent-minded hero begins peeling the stogie like a banana. The Fortune Hunter was directed by Charles Reisner, who cut his cinematic teeth as an actor/assistant with Charlie Chaplin's First National unit in the late teens. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Although Charles Ray doesn't play one of his country boy roles in his first picture for United Artists, John Paul Bart could be considered the city cousin -- he's a poor pants presser who believes that clothes really can make the man and sets out to prove it. He "borrows" a dress suit from the tailor shop where he works and crashes a fancy reception. Even though he risks making a fool of himself, Bart draws the attention of Abraham Nathan, the president of a steamship company (Stanton Heck). Nathan invites Bart on a cruise, and he is able to show off his real talents as a mediator when labor unrest occurs. Nathan is impressed and gives him an important job in his firm. Bart continues his romance with Tanya Huber (Ethel Grandin), his sweetheart from the tailor's shop, but he has a rival in one of the labor leaders. The worker exposes him as a former clothes presser and the humiliated Bart goes back to the tailor's shop. Nathan, however, doesn't care about Bart's past and tracks him down. Bart is back where he really belongs, and he and Tanya become engaged. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

Edith Roberts improbably stars as an Indian maiden in this Northwoods drama, based on the story by Jack London. Prospector Scruff Mackenzie (Wheeler Oakman) prepares a camp for his future wife -- whoever she may be. He falls in love with Chook-Ra (Roberts), an Indian girl who is the ward of Father Roubeau (Sam Allen). They plan to marry as soon as her father, Chief Thling Tinner (Thomas Jefferson -- as unlikely a Native American as Roberts), can come down for the ceremony. While in town on business, Mackenzie meets a dancehall girl and becomes distracted. Chook-Ra finds out about the affair and takes dance lessons herself. She surprises Mackenzie at a ball and wins him back. But Mackenzie still needs to earn the consent of the tribe before he can wed Chook-Ra. After vanquishing the Bear (Fred Stanton), he and Chook-Ra are finally allowed to marry. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

When nineteenth century theatergoers thought of Rip Van Winkle, they pictured him as actor Joseph Jefferson. Rip was Jefferson's signature role, and later on his son, Thomas Jefferson took up where he left off and starred in the film version. It remains true to the story -- Rip's love for a drunken good time infuriates his wife Gretchen (Milla Davenport). He runs afoul of some mountain gnomes who give him a libation that puts him to sleep for 20 years. When he awakes he discovers that his wife married the man who wanted his property, and no one in the village recognizes him. But he is finally able to convince his daughter, Meenie (Daisy Robinson) of his identity. Perhaps the biggest problem with this picture was its location -- the hills of Southern California were a poor imitation of the Catskills, and the Hudson River was nowhere to be found. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

Harry Garson directed his then-wife, Clara Kimball Young, in this light comedy -- a departure for Young, who was better known for her heavy dramatic roles. While on a European voyage, wealthy Robert Van Austin (Bertram Grassby) meets Lucette Grenier (Young), the owner of a chic Fifth Avenue dress shop. A whirlwind romance follows and by the time the ship returns to the U.S., the couple are engaged. Robert's snobby mother (Clarissa Selwynne) immediately takes a dislike to Lucette, while his uncle, John (William P. Carleton), is more than willing to give her a chance. Meanwhile, Robert's former sweetheart, Doris Charming (Betty Francisco), comes to Lucette's shop and buys a load of expensive outfits. When Doris charges them to Robert, Lucette realizes that her fiancé is not exactly a fine, upstanding young gentleman and she breaks off the engagement. John throws a dance and Lucette attends, but the festivities are interrupted by her alcoholic grandfather, Henri Trevel (Thomas Jefferson). Before Lucette takes her grandfather away, John proposes to her and she accepts. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

Mary MacLaren stars in this pleasant romantic programmer. Forger Bill Butters (Thomas Jefferson) swears to his daughter Peggy (MacLaren) that he will go straight -- after one more job. But the cops are onto him and he gets caught. Judge Farrell (J. Barney Sherry) sentences him to prison, and Peggy finds a place nearby so that she can visit him regularly. While working behind the counter of a soda fountain, she meets Dick Van Courtland, a college boy (Harold L. Miller). They wed, which angers his mother (Dorothy Hagen), who had chosen society girl Clara Ramirez (Dagmar Godowsky) as his mate. However, Dick's guardian -- the same Farrell who convicted Peggy's father -- likes his new sweetheart because she reminds him of his own daughter, who was kidnapped as an infant. Clara, who still hopes to snag Dick, discovers the identity of Peggy's father and plans to let Farrell know. But Butters finds out about her scheme, breaks out of prison, and forges a letter which claims that Peggy is Farrell's long-lost daughter. Farrell knows the note is a forgery, but he decides to let the matter drop since he really cares about Peggy. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

This Drury Lane melodrama, based on Cecil Raleigh's play, was given top-rate direction by Rex Ingram. Lord Altcar (Winter Hall) wants his daughter, Winifred (Francelia Billington), to marry Lord Burford (Joseph Kilgour). Instead, she secretly weds Michael Wain (Frank Brownlee), the gamekeeper. Lord Altcar angrily flogs Wain and fires him -- separating the lovers. Years pass, and Lady Winifred becomes the owner of Altcar Manor. Her daughter, Dora (Alice Terry), is sent to be raised in a Swiss convent where she becomes engaged to an American artist, John Gillespie (Norman Kennedy). During this time, Wain has become a very wealthy man, and when he discovers that Altcar Manor is heavily mortgaged, he buys up all the deeds and makes plans to foreclose. But then he finds out that he has a daughter, and that she is being pressured by the same Lord Burford who wanted to marry Winifred. To destroy Dora's relationship with Gillespie, Burford doctors a painting he has done of her so that it looks like she posed nude. Dora, horrified, retreats to the convent. Meanwhile, Wain and Winifred have reconciled, and they go to Dora, but Lord Burford has already trapped her in his chalet. Finally, Burford is killed by his accomplice, Maurice Felden (Brinsley Shaw), who wants Dora for himself. Dora escapes from Felden into a snow storm. Winifred, Wain, and Gillespie find her, while Felden dies in an avalanche. Director Rex Ingram fell in love with Alice Terry during production and would marry her within the year. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

In spite of an all-star cast and the talents of director Marshall Neilan, there wasn't much that could be done with this overly complicated drama. Judith Rutledge (Anita Stewart) is your typical country girl who has come to the big city. She becomes a secretary to banker James Warren (Frank Currier), who comes to admire her intelligence and common sense -- qualities his grown children seem to lack. Sons Fred (Mahlon Hamilton) and Jim (Thomas Holding) are both in love with Carlotta Stanmore (Anna Q. Nilsson), a forger. When Jim is killed in a car accident, Carlotta tells Fred that his brother was the forger. To save Jim's name, Fred takes responsibility for the crimes. On his deathbed, old man Warren asks Judith to marry Fred so that she can help him carry on his business. She agrees, and marries Fred soon after, but Carlotta and Fred's sister, Penelope (Kathlyn Williams), make her life difficult. Swindler J. Wellington Yarnell (Edwin Stevens) convinces Fred to go into a partnership to develop a tract of land out west. He doesn't tell Fred that the land already belongs to Langley (Tully Marshall) and that the papers were stolen from him after he bought the property. Judith, meanwhile, thinks Fred is more interested in Carlotta than he is in her, so she heads West, where she meets Tom (Tom Santschi), Langley's son. She finds out the truth, and she and Tom halt Yarnell's scheme. Carlotta is revealed as the forger and Fred discovers that he actually loves his wife. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi