''For Heaven's Sake'' is a 1926 American silent

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending ( black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by Sam Taylor and starring

Harold Lloyd Harold Clayton Lloyd, Sr. (April 20, 1893 – March 8, 1971) was an American actor, comedian, and stunt performer who appeared in many silent comedy films.Obituary '' Variety'', March 10, 1971, page 55. One of the most influential film c ...

. It was one of Lloyd's most successful films and the 12th-highest-grossing film of the silent era, earning $2,600,000.

Plot

Millionaire J. Harold Manners finds himself in the poor part of town. When he accidentally sets fire to a charity pushcart dispensing free coffee owned by do-gooder Brother Paul, he pulls out his checkbook to cover the damage. Brother Paul assumes that Manners wants to pay for a mission and asks him for $1,000. After Manners reads in the newspaper that he is sponsoring a mission, he goes there to dissociate himself from it. He is aghast to find it named the J. Harold Manners Mission. When he tears down the sign, he is scolded by Brother Paul's pretty daughter Hope, who does not know who he is, but he is smitten with her. When Brother Paul returns and invites him inside to tour the place, he readily accepts. Once she learns his identity, Hope apologizes. In order to build up attendance, Manners runs through town provoking people and a crowd chases him into the mission. Some of the men are in possession of the proceeds of a jewel robbery. Before they can beat Manners, the police arrive. The quick-witted Manners takes up a "collection," the crooks deposit their loot in his hat while the police search everyone. This act earns him the friendship of the gang. Manners and the girl plan to be married at the mission. His highbrow friends decide to kidnap him, believing that they are saving him from a terrible mistake. As they drive away, one of them tells the wedding's "reception committee" that Manners is not going to marry Hope, and the disappointed committeemen get drunk. Their leader goes to Manner's club to confirm the news, and they free Manners and head back to the mission. Manners must tend to the five drunks, but finally brings them all there and marries Hope.

Cast

as The Uptown Boy *

Jobyna Ralston Jobyna Ralston (born Jobyna Lancaster Raulston, November 21, 1899 – January 22, 1967) was an American stage and film actress. She had a featured role in ''Wings'' in 1927, but is perhaps best remembered today for her on-screen chemistry with H ...

as The Downtown Girl * Oscar Smith as James "Manners" Chauffeur (uncredited) *

Noah Young Noah Young, Jr. (February 2, 1887 – April 18, 1958) was a champion weightlifter and actor. Biography Young was born in Cañon City, Colorado. His father, Noah Young, was a foreman of the Glenrock coal mine who later became a coal mine i ...

as The Roughneck * Jim Mason as The Gangster (credited as James Mason) *

Paul Weigel Paul Weigel (18 February 1867 – 25 May 1951) was a German-American actor. He appeared in more than 110 films between 1916 and 1945. Selected filmography * '' Naked Hearts'' (1916) - Cecil's Father * '' Each Pearl a Tear'' (1916) - Roger ...

as The Optimist * Hal Craig as The Motorcycle Cop (uncredited) * Robert Dudley as Harold's Secretary (uncredited) *

Richard Daniels Richard Daniels (23 January 1864 – 27 January 1939), was a Welsh-born American film actor. He appeared in 27 films between 1922 and 1926. He was born in Gwubach, Wales and died in Los Angeles, California four days after his 75th birthday ...

as a Bum (uncredited) * Francis Gaspart as a Man (uncredited) * Jack Herrick as a Mug In Straw Hat (uncredited) * Jackie Levine as a Little Boy (uncredited) * Andy MacLennan as a Gangster In Mission At Collection (uncredited) *

Earl Mohan Earl Mohan (November 12, 1889 – October 15, 1928) was an American film actor of the silent era who was born in Pueblo, Colorado, and died in Los Angeles, California. He appeared in about 60 films between 1915 and 1927, usually in short fi ...

as a Bum (uncredited) * Steve Murphy as a Tough Guy In Pool Hall (uncredited) *

Blanche Payson Blanche Payson (born Mary Elizabeth Bush, September 20, 1881 – July 4, 1964) was an American film actress. Biography Payson was born as Mary Elizabeth Bush to Thomas and Sarah Bush. She first attracted public notice when she served as p ...

as a Lady On The Street (uncredited) *

Constantine Romanoff Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I *Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine given name ...

as a Mug (uncredited) *

Dick Rush Richard T. Rush (born 1884) was an Australian-born American character actor of the silent and sound film eras. During his 28-year career, he would appear in between 160 and 300 films (depending on the source). The large majority of his parts wer ...

as a Cop (uncredited) * Charles Sullivan as a Boxer In Pool Hall (uncredited) *

Leo Willis Leo Willis (5 January 1890 – 10 April 1952) was an American actor who began his career in the silent era. He played mainly tough guys and comic villains, notably opposite Harold Lloyd, Charley Chase, and Laurel and Hardy at the Hal Roach Stud ...

as a Mug Who Gets Kicked (uncredited)

Production

In the late 1920s, Lloyd alternated between making what he called "gag pictures" (such as ''For Heaven's Sake'') and "character pictures." This was the first Lloyd film distributed by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

, and it was a difficult production for him and for his film company. Numerous scenes were filmed and later cut from the released version. Some of the cut elements, especially an underworld theme, were incorporated into Lloyd's 1928 film '' Speedy.'' Lloyd was disappointed in the final product and considered shelving the picture. However, it grossed over two million dollars upon release.

References

External links

The Harold Lloyd Trust
* * * * * {{Sam Taylor 1926 films 1926 romantic comedy films American romantic comedy films American silent feature films American black-and-white films Paramount Pictures films 1920s American films Silent romantic comedy films Silent American comedy films