Jed Prouty Movies

The Grain of Dust was based on the best-selling novel by David Graham Phillips. Lillian Walker plays Dorothy Hallowell, known as "the grain of dust" because of her questionable parentage and her tendency to drift in and out of trouble. Unfairly branded a "scarlet woman," the innocent Dorothy finally decides to live up to her billing and attempts to steal small-town lawyer Frederick Norman (Ramsey Wallace) away from his wife Ursula (Corinne Urzell) -- hardly a difficult task, since Frederick is hardly a paragon of virtue. But Dorothy is essentially a good girl, and her virtue is ultimately rewarded. The Grain of Dust was remade in 1928, with Alma Bennett playing the title character as a villainous predator. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The popular screen team of Jack Mulhall and Dorothy Mackaill were back again in Smile, Brother, Smile. The stars are cast respectively as hot-shot salesman Jack Lowery and sagacious secretary Mildred Marvin, employees both of a big-time cosmetics company. Inexplicably, the company's sales are dropping, and it looks as though there's going to be some "downsizing" in the near future. Putting their heads together, Jack and Mildred discover that the firm's duplicitous manager Harvey Renrod (Philo McCullough) is actually in the employ of a rival firm. In a fit of euphoria, Mildred sample's some of her company's product and transforms from an ugly duckling into a swan, thereby cinching a fat new contract for her boss and simultaneously winning the love of Jack. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

All-purpose Columbia Pictures leading lady Dorothy Revier was teamed with newcomer Tom Owen in The Siren. When her car breaks down during a rainstorm, wealthy confidence trickster Revier seeks refuge by sneaking into a nearby log cabin. Removing her wet clothes, the lady crawls into a bed and falls asleep. This is the sight that greets the cabin's owner, handsome duck-hunter Owen, when he returns. Ever the gentleman, Owen waits until the girl is properly dressed before introducing himself, whereupon the two take an extra-special interest in one another. Later on, Owen is invited to a weekend party at Revier's mansion. Also on hand is the girl's partner in crime, cardsharp Norman Trevor. Refusing to allow Owen to be cheated at cards, Revier orders Trevor out of the house, but the cad returns and a fight ensues, during which the curtains catch fire and the mansion is consumed in flames. Assumed to have been killed in the blaze, Trevor vengefully stays out of sight long enough for Revier to be accused of his murder. But at the last minute, Owen forces Trevor to come forward and save Revier from execution. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

One of the most accessible of the Colleen Moore silent vehicles, Orchids and Ermine also happens to be among Moore's best and most representative films. The star is cast as Pink Watson, whose craving for such luxuries as orchids and ermine lead her to take a job as a telephone receptionist in a hotel catering to wealthy men. In the course of her many subsequent adventures, she meets a millionaire named Richard Tabor (Jack Mulhall), who to avoid predatory females has switched identities with his faithful valet Hanks (Sam Hardy). After making a half-hearted play for Hanks, Pink falls in love with Tabor, deciding that money doesn't mean anything after all -- and is she surprised when she learns Tabor's true identity. One of the highlights of Orchids and Ermine is a brief scene involving a flirtatious, cigar-smoking midget, played by 6-year-old Joe Yule Jr. -- who of course "grew up" to become Mickey Rooney. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Silent film star Colleen Moore and Charlie Plumb's comic strip character Ella Cinders had two basic things in common: their dutch-bob haircuts and their winsome, wide-eyed charm. As played by Ms. Moore, Ella is a moviestruck small-town girl who wins a talent contest purportedly sponsored by a film studio. First prize is a trip to Hollywood and a screen test, but when Ella arrives in Tinseltown, she discovers that the contest was a fraud. Momentarily disheartened, Ella vows to get into pictures by any means possible. Finally wangling a screen test, Ella convinces producers that she is a great dramatic actress by reacting in terror to a fire that has accidentally broken out on the set. She realizes her dream of becoming a star--at least until her hometown boyfriend Lloyd Hughes offers a "lifetime contract" of his own. A thoroughly delightful minor effort, Ella Cinders displays Colleen Moore at her peak, notably in one sequence in which she imitates her contemporary Lillian Gish; there's even time left over for a brief cameo from comedy great Harry Langdon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this romantic silent adventure, a beautiful heiress goes to California for a visit and while there learns that her New York-dwelling father has died and left her penniless. Now desperately poor, she takes up with a rich, handsome cad and escorts him to a masquerade ball where she dresses as a young boy. Being a cad, it is only natural that he make a pass at her. But the woman is faster than his hands and rushes out. Her flight leads her to get mixed up with a band of vagabonds. Their leader knows the score about the newest member right off, but keeps mum. Together, the wanderers have many adventures. When they all end up arrested, the lead hobo, with whom the girl has secretly fallen in love, reveals that he is actually a famous and very wealthy author who has donned rags to travel about in search of inspiration. Naturally, he and the girl end up hitched and as the story closes, the happy couple and all their hobo pals are racing eastward aboard the luxurious Honeymoon Express. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Lady of the Harem was based on Hassan, a play by James McElroy Flecker. It all begins when the Caliph of Kornassah (Sojin) sends his minions out to find him more gold and more women. His henchmen return with gorgeous blonde captive Pervannah (Greta Nissen), whose sweetheart Rafi (William Collier Jr.) immediately races to the rescue. Rallying hundreds of peasants who are weary of the Caliph's despotism, Rafi stages a raid on the palace. The terrified Caliph escapes into the city, where he disguises himself as a humble street merchant. Eventually mounting a counteroffensive, the Caliph is restored to his palace, where he prepares to torture Rafi while Pervannah looks on in horror. But at the last moment, the Caliph's second-in-command Hassan (Ernest Torrence) rebels against his master, assumes control of the throne, and frees the hero and heroine. Louise Fazenda has an amusing role as a busy courtesan who can't keep track of her customers. The main selling angle of Lady of the Harem was, of course, the harem itself, wherein the many wives of the Caliph cavorted about in as little clothing as possible. It's curiosity that director Raoul Walsh seldom brought up the subject of this film in his later interviews. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Although this isn't one of her top pictures, Gloria Swanson was near the peak of her career when she made it. She's excellent in a dual role, and is directed by one of her favorite collaborators, Allan Dwan. Nadine Gathway, a turn-of-the-century belle (Swanson), dumps her priggish husband and runs away to Europe. Her daughter, Joyce (also Swanson), is left behind and grows up into a lively young girl. When Gathway dies, he leaves her his fortune -- providing she never gets herself into a scandal. She finds trouble in Palm Beach when she falls in love with the married Larry Fay (Anthony Jowitt). Fay sincerely loves her and asks his wife Constance (Dorothy Cumming) for a divorce. Constance refuses and arranges to sue Joyce for alienation of affections. Nadine -- who has left her own scandalous past behind and become the Countess de Tauro -- hears of her daughter's troubles and returns to America. She puts Constance in a compromising position to keep her from instigating the lawsuit, and then takes all the blame on herself. Fay and Joyce wind up together, while Nadine's husband, the Count (Alec Francis), understands his wife's motivations and proves his love for her. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

When he tears a ligament in his arm, light heavyweight champion Sandy Donlin (Milton Sills) is forced to take a break from the ring. His friend Parker, a lumber magnate (Claude King) sends him to the North woods to battle against a rival lumber boss. The rival turns out to be Farot (Harlan Knight) and his fetching daughter, Jean (Lorna Duveen), and Parker's schemes are anything but on the up-and-up. Donlin changes alliances and tries to stop his former friend's plans. Parker's men still manage to dynamite the dam, which ties up the Farot lumber for a year. It looks like Jean won't be able to make the mortgage unless Donlin goes back into the ring. The only problem is that Jean has already said she hates fighting and will have nothing to do with pugilists. At the last minute, she has a change of heart, and Donlin wins the bout and makes the payment. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

This comedy-melodrama, based on the novel by Rupert Hughes (who also directed), blends fiction and reality to tell the story of a young woman's rise in Hollywood; the film uses real stars and productions (even Charles Chaplin filming A Woman of Paris) as its backdrop. Eleanor Boardman plays Remember Steddon, better known as Mem. Mem is a small-town girl who marries slick bad guy Owen Scudder (Lew Cody); Owen insures his brides and then murders them for the money. After the wedding, Mem starts to have her doubts about him and runs away while their train is chugging through the desert. She happens on a film crew and gets work as an extra, later becoming a famous dramatic actress in Hollywood with the help of director Frank Claymore (Richard Dix). Scudder finally tracks her down during a shoot involving a circus tent; when a storm sets the tent on fire, Scudder loses his life saving Mem from a wind machine's propeller. Freed from her marriage, Mem is able to choose between Claymore and her leading man. Boardman, whose first starring role finds her surrounded by a long and impressive supporting cast, wound up at the Goldwyn studios through a "New Faces" contest. Her co-winner, future star William Haines, also had a bit part as the company's assistant director. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

The Willard Mack stage play Kick In starred John Barrymore on Broadway and was made into a motion picture in 1917, with Ouida Bergere writing the scenario. Bergere was at the typewriter once again when the story returned to the screen in 1922. This production, with its more lavish budget and fine direction by George Fitzmaurice, was an improvement on the earlier version. After serving time in Sing Sing, Chic Hewes (Bert Lytell) wants to go straight, but when he refuses to be a stool pigeon for the cops, they hound him mercilessly. Hewes witnesses a car accident in which Jerry Brandon (Robert Agnew), the son of the district attorney (John Miltern), runs over a child. He also meets Molly, the D.A.'s daughter (Betty Compson). Because he feels the child's mother was treated unfairly, Hewes decides to pull one last heist to square things. But while attempting to rob the D.A.'s safe, he's surprised to find that Jerry has beaten him to it. Jerry tries to lay the blame on Hewes, but Molly stands up for him. Hewes' brother Benny (Gareth Hughes) is killed while stealing a necklace and Hewes finds himself in more trouble when he tries to dispose of the body. Molly comes to his aid, and the D.A. lets him go. Hewes goes out West to start all over again and Molly follows a year later. A talkie version of this crime drama would be made in 1931, starring Clara Bow as Molly. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

This light-hearted romance, released by Realart, stars Constance Binney. When her father is killed during a fox hunt, Lady Noreen of Kildoran (Binney) finds herself saddled with debts and an ancient, run-down castle. The only way she can think of raising money is to rent the place out to Terrence O'Brien (Tom Carrigan), an American who is visiting Ireland . She pretends to be a maid, and tells O'Brien that her mistress is in France. O'Brien shows his American resourcefulness by playing handyman and fixing up the castle. A romance blooms between O'Brien and Noreen, hampered on her end by Ephraim Roach (Malcolm Bradley), who wants his son Desmond (Arthur Housman) to marry her, and on O'Brien's end by Leila Osborne (Ellen Cassidy), who has designs on him. When Leila and her brother Robert (Jed Prouty) come to visit, Noreen makes things as uncomfortable for them as possible. O'Brien, meanwhile, figures out that the Roaches only want Noreen's castle, and he makes short work of them. With all obstacles out of the way, the two happily unite. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide