''A Perfect Crime'' is a 1921 American silent

comedy-drama film Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, illness, betrayal, grief, etc. ...

directed by

Allan Dwan Allan Dwan (born Joseph Aloysius Dwan; April 3, 1885 – December 28, 1981) was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter. Early life Born Joseph Aloysius Dwan in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Dwan was ...

and starring

Monte Blue Gerard Montgomery Blue (January 11, 1887 – February 18, 1963) was an American film actor who began his career as a romantic lead in the silent era; and for decades after the advent of sound, he continued to perform as a supporting player ...

Jacqueline Logan Jacqueline Medura Logan (November 30, 1902 – April 4, 1983) was an American actress and silent film star. Logan was a WAMPAS Baby Star of 1922. Early life Logan was born in Corsicana, Texas, on November 30, 1902, the only child of Charles A. ...

Stanton Heck Stanton Heck (January 8, 1877 – December 16, 1929), was an American actor of the silent era. He appeared in 50 films between 1918 and 1928. Earlier in his career, he appeared on stage in musicals such as 1906's '' A Parisian Model''.(Dece ...

Hardee Kirkland Hardee Kirkland (May 23, 1868 – February 18, 1929) was an American film actor and film director, director of the silent film, silent era who appeared on stage. Biography Kirkland was born in Savannah, Georgia, Savannah, Georgia (U.S. st ...

, and

Carole Lombard Carole Lombard (born Jane Alice Peters; October 6, 1908 – January 16, 1942) was an American actress, particularly noted for her energetic, often off-beat roles in screwball comedies. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Lombard ...

. It was Logan and Lombard's feature film debut. Lombard was credited as Jane Peters at the time. It is not known whether the film survives, which suggests it may be lost. Based on a short story published in ''

The Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine published six times a year. It was published weekly from 1897 until 1963, and then every other week until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely circulated and influ ...

'' on September 25, 1920, by Carl Clausen, the movie concerns the life of bank messenger Wally Griggs and his vastly different alter ego James Brown.

Plot

A mild-mannered bank messenger named Wally Griggs lives a double life as James Brown, a wild and rakish adventurer. He catches the eye of bank president Halliday, curious about his exploits, and of his coworker and only friend Mary, who is romantically interested in him. Mary lost her fortune after trusting a swindler named "Big Bill" Thaine, who is now a

district attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...

determined to marry her despite her reluctance. Wally decides to steal money from the bank, leading to his arrest by Thaine. He sues for

false imprisonment False imprisonment or unlawful imprisonment occurs when a person intentionally restricts another person's movement within any area without legal authority, justification, or the restrained person's permission. Actual physical restraint is n ...

and in the process manages to win back Mary's money. He then returns the stolen bank bonds while faking

amnesia Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or brain diseases,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be temporarily caused by t ...

. A publisher, intrigued by Wally's tales about his life as James Brown, offers him a book deal. Making enough money to support himself as an author, Wally quits his job and marries Mary. A perfect crime 1921

Cast

as Wally Griggs *

as Mary Oliver *

as "Big Bill" Thaine *

as President Halliday * Jane Peters (

) as Griggs's Sister

Reception

The movie was positively received in the press.

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links

*
Synopsys
(archived) at

AllMovie AllMovie (previously All Movie Guide) is an online database with information about films, television programs, television series, and screen actors. , AllMovie.com and the AllMovie consumer brand are owned by RhythmOne. History AllMovie was ...

A Perfect Crime. Motion picture copyright descriptions collection. Class L, 1912-1977.
at

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

The Perfect Crime
in ''

'', September 25, 1920 {{DEFAULTSORT:Perfect Crime (film), A 1921 films Films directed by Allan Dwan American silent feature films American black-and-white films 1921 comedy-drama films 1920s English-language films 1920s American films Silent American comedy-drama films English-language comedy-drama films