''Nell Gwyn'' is a 1926 British

romance film Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion (emotion), passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typica ...

directed by

Herbert Wilcox Herbert Sydney Wilcox CBE (19 April 1890 – 15 May 1977) was a British film producer and director. He was one of the most successful British filmmakers from the 1920s to the 1950s. He is best known for the films he made with his third wif ...

and starring

Dorothy Gish Dorothy Elizabeth Gish (March 11, 1898June 4, 1968) was an American actress of the screen and stage, as well as a director and writer. Dorothy and her older sister Lillian Gish were major movie stars of the silent era. Dorothy also had great s ...

Randle Ayrton Frederick Randle Ayrton (9 August 1869 – 28 May 1940) was a British actor of stage and screen, and was also a producer and director. Early life Ayrton was born in Chester to William Frances Ayrton, a wealthy wine-merchant who was a pa ...

and

Juliette Compton Juliette Compton (May 3, 1899 – March 19, 1989) was an American actress whose career began in the silent film era and concluded with ''That Hamilton Woman'' in 1941. Career Compton was born in Columbus, Georgia, on May 3, 1899. She was a ...

. It was based on the 1926 novel '' Mistress Nell Gwyn'' by

Marjorie Bowen Margaret Gabrielle Vere Long (née Campbell; 1 November 1885 – 23 December 1952), who used the pseudonyms Marjorie Bowen and Joseph Shearing, was a British author who wrote historical romances, supernatural horror stories, popular history and ...

and follows the life of

Nell Gwynne Eleanor Gwyn (2 February 1650 – 14 November 1687; also spelled ''Gwynn'', ''Gwynne'') was a celebrity figure of the Restoration period. Praised by Samuel Pepys for her comic performances as one of the first actresses on the English stag ...

, the mistress of Charles II. Wilcox later made a second version of the film in 1934, '' Nell Gwynn'' which starred Anna Neagle.

Cast

–

Nell Gwyn Eleanor Gwyn (2 February 1650 – 14 November 1687; also spelled ''Gwynn'', ''Gwynne'') was a celebrity figure of the Restoration period. Praised by Samuel Pepys for her comic performances as one of the first actresses on the English stag ...

– Charles II *

– Lady Castlemaine * Sydney Fairbrother – Mrs. Gwyn *

Donald Macardle Donald Macardle was an Irish film and stage actor and writer. He also directed the 1933 film '' The King's Cup''. Filmography Actor * ''Wee MacGregor's Sweetheart'' (1922) * ''The Fair Maid of Perth'' (1923) * ''The Loves of Mary, Queen of Scots' ...

– Duke of Monmouth *

Johnny Butt John William H. Butt (1870–1931) was an English film actor of the silent era. He was born in Bradford and died in North Bierley, West Yorkshire. Selected filmography * ''The Chimes'' (1914) * ''Far from the Madding Crowd'' (1915) * '' The Gr ...

–

Samuel Pepys Samuel Pepys (; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English diarist and naval administrator. He served as administrator of the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament and is most famous for the diary he kept for a decade. Pepys had no mariti ...

* Gibb McLaughlin – Duke of York *

Judd Green Judd Green (also credited as R. Judd Green; 1866–1932) was a British film actor of the silent era. He was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire in 1866 and made his first screen appearance in 1914. Selected filmography * '' The Third String'' (1914) * ...

– Toby Clinker *

Edward Sorley Edward Sorley (1871 – 16 October 1933) was a British actor. Sorley was born in Camberwell, Surrey and died at age 62 in Blackheath, London. Selected filmography * ''Queen's Evidence'' (1919) * ''The Temptress'' (1920) * '' The Sword of Da ...

– Dickon * Forrester Harvey – Charles Hart *

Fred Rains Frederick William Rains (c. 1860 – 3 December 1945) was a British actor and film director. He was the father of the actor Claude Rains. Selected filmography Actor * '' The Broken Melody'' (1916) * '' The New Clown'' (1916) * ''The Marriage ...

– Earl of Shaftesbury *

Rolf Leslie Rolf Leslie was a British actor born in Dumfries, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, UK. Selected filmography * '' Sixty Years a Queen'' (1913) * ''East Lynne'' (1913) * '' Lights of London'' (1914) * ''Jane Shore'' (1915) * '' The Faith of a Child'' (1915 ...

– Evelyn *

Aubrey Fitzgerald Aubrey Fitzgerald (1874–1968) was a British actor. In 1909 he played El Tabloid in '' A Persian Princess'' at the Queen's Theatre in London. Selected filmography * '' One Arabian Night'' (1923) * '' Little Miss Nobody'' (1923) * '' Hutch Stir ...

– Tom Killigrew * Tom Coventry – Innkeeper * Booth Conway – Messenger * Dorinea Shirley – Maid

Production

Wilcox said he got the idea to make the film after making '' The Only Way''. He saw a theatre bill headlined by "Dolly Elswrothy" and remembered a sketch he saw where Elsworthy played Nell Gwyn. He cabled to see if Dorothy Gish was available and she accepted. Dorothy Gish was paid £7,000 (£1,000 a week plus expenses). Wilcox arranged to finance the film with an accountant, everyone contributing half. Wilcox says the accountant reneged and he had to finance the film entirely himself. To save money he edited the fim himself One report says the film was made for £20,000 and Wilcox sold it outright for £35,000. Wilcox says it was made for £14,000 and he sold it for £20,000. The company that bought it was British National Pictures.

Reception

Critical

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' wrote, "Whatever may be the shortcomings of English motion picture producers. If they can put together other pictures as simply and with as much dramatic effect as this story of Nell Gwyn they should have no difficulty obtaining a showing for them anywhere. The story moves quickly and surely, with nothing to strain one's credulity, and the acting of Miss Gish and Randie Ayrton, who takes the part of Charles, is excellent. So is that of Juliette Compton as Lady Castlemaine. The immorality of the period is suggested without being offensive, and for the second time this Summer a good picture has not been spoiled by prudery. The titles are unusually good and frequently amusing, that dear old gossip

Pepys Samuel Pepys (; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English diarist and naval administrator. He served as administrator of the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament and is most famous for the diary he kept for a decade. Pepys had no mariti ...

being resorted to for purposes of verisimilitude."

Box office

Wilcox says the film "was a riotous success throughout the world." It was sold to the US for £28,000. It did so well that British National Films signed Wilcox and Gish to make three more films together, which would be financed by Paramount.

References

Bibliography

* Street, Sarah. ''Transatlantic crossings: British feature films in the United States''. Continuum International Publishing, 2002.

External links

* {{Herbert Wilcox 1926 films 1920s biographical films 1920s historical romance films British biographical films 1920s English-language films Films directed by Herbert Wilcox Films set in the 1660s Films set in the 1670s Films set in the 1680s Films set in London Nell Gwyn British silent feature films British black-and-white films British historical romance films Films based on biographies Cultural depictions of Charles II of England Cultural depictions of Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland 1920s British films