''Back Home and Broke'' is a

lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland *Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

1922 American

silent Silent may mean any of the following: People with the name * Silent George, George Stone (outfielder) (1876–1945), American Major League Baseball outfielder and batting champion * Brandon Silent (born 1973), South African former footballer * C ...

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

Alfred E. Green Alfred Edward Green (July 11, 1889 – September 4, 1960) was an American film director. Green entered film in 1912 as an actor for the Selig Polyscope Company. He became an assistant to director Colin Campbell. He then started to direct two-reel ...

and written by

George Ade George Ade (February 9, 1866 – May 16, 1944) was an American writer, syndicated newspaper columnist, and playwright who gained national notoriety at the turn of the 20th century with his "Stories of the Streets and of the Town", a column that ...

and J. Clarkson Miller. The film stars

Thomas Meighan Thomas Meighan (April 9, 1879 – July 8, 1936) was an American actor of silent films and early talkies. He played several leading-man roles opposite popular actresses of the day, including Mary Pickford and Gloria Swanson. At one point he comm ...

Lila Lee Lila Lee (born Augusta Wilhelmena Fredericka Appel; July 25, 1905 – November 13, 1973) was a prominent screen actress, primarily a leading lady, of the silent film and early sound film eras. Early life The daughter of Augusta Fredericka Appe ...

, Frederick Burton,

Cyril Ring Cyril Ring (December 5, 1892July 17, 1967) was an American film actor. He began his career in silent films in 1921. By the time of his final performance in 1951, he had appeared in over 350 films, nearly all of them in small and/or uncredited bit ...

, Charles S. Abbe, Florence Dixon, and Gertrude Quinlan. The film was released on December 24, 1922, 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 ...

Plot

As described in a

film magazine Film periodicals combine discussion of individual films, genres and directors with in-depth considerations of the medium and the conditions of its production and reception. Their articles contrast with film reviewing in newspapers and magazines whi ...

, when Tom Redding's father dies, it transpires that, instead of being one of the wealthiest citizens of the Town of Bradford, he left little except some debts, having speculated wildly. Tom (Meighan) and his mother (Gordon) are compelled to leave their old home and move into a small house. Even the factory his father owned falls into creditors' hands and Olivia Hornby (Dixon), Tom's sweetheart, discards him. Only Mary Thorne (Lee), his father's former secretary, remains faithful to Tom and his mother. As a last resource, Tom decides to go west to try and develop an oil well that Ton's father had sunk money into. Eventually he strikes oil. He meets his old college chum Billy Andrews (Wheat) who suggests that Tom return to Bradford apparently broke and thus discover who his true friends are. Their plot is developed satisfactory. Billy, posing as the representative of the millionaire Keene, buys up practically all the property in town, including the bank, newspaper, and the factory. Tom, poorly dressed, is coldly received by all save Mary, who even offers her savings to back him in a new venture. Then Billy announces that Keene will be arriving, and the people of the town turn out to welcome him. They are very surprised when the "Keene" turns out to be the despised Tom Redding. Tom gives a big dinner to his former detractors and, instead of taking revenge, announces that he will allow them to continue in control of his investments save the factory, which again displays the sign "Redding and Son." He and Mary are united.

Cast

as Tom Redding *

as Mary Thorne * Frederick Burton as Otis Grimley *

as Eustace Grimley *Charles S. Abbe as H.H. Hornby *Florence Dixon as Olivia Hornby *Gertrude Quinlan as Aggie Twaddle *

Richard Carlyle Richard Carlyle (March 20, 1914 – November 15, 2009) was a film, television and Broadway actor. Early years Carlyle was born in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. His education included attendance at Sherwood Dramatic Art School and the Art Ins ...

as John Thorne *

Maude Turner Gordon Maude Turner Gordon (November 10, 1868 – January 12, 1940) was an American actress who appeared in 81 films between 1914 and 1938. Biography Born in Franklin, Indiana, Gordon was the daughter of Alexander and Nancy Wright Turner. She w ...

as Mrs. Redding *

Larry Wheat Laurence Wheat (October 10, 1876 – August 7, 1963) was an American character actor of the silent film, silent and sound film eras. Biography Born on October 20, 1876, in Wheeling, West Virginia, Wheat entered the film industry in 1921 wit ...

as Billy Andrews *Ned Burton as Horace Beemer *James Marlowe as Policeman *

Eddie Borden Edgar Mason Borden (May 1, 1888 – June 30, 1955) was an American film actor who started his career in vaudeville as an acrobat and then successfully turned to comedy. Throughout the 1920s, he toured in the Keith, Orpheum and Pantages vaud ...

as Collector

References

External links

* * 1922 films 1920s English-language films Silent American comedy films 1922 comedy films Paramount Pictures films Films directed by Alfred E. Green American black-and-white films Lost American films American silent feature films 1922 lost films Lost comedy films 1920s American films {{1920s-silent-comedy-film-stub