''Don't Write Letters'' is a 1922 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 George D. Baker and starring Gareth Hughes, Bartine Burkett, and

Herbert Heyes Herbert Harrison Heyes (August 3, 1889 – May 31, 1958) was an American film actor. He appeared in nearly 100 films between 1915 and 1956, including the famed 1947 film '' Miracle on 34th Street'', in which he played an ahistorical "Mr. Gimbel ...

.Berman p. 150

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 ...

, the film begins with a well-drawn cartoon of an early man carving his love letters on stone and the effect of getting slapped on the head with one, and of a medieval scene where Romeo brings the wrath of Juliet's father when he writes love letters to her and slips them over the balcony. Robert "Babby" Jenks (Hughes) is a department store clerk who pictures himself a hero in love with a beautiful girl. When he enlists to fight in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

he is handicapped by his small size and consigned to the mess tent. He orders a blouse from the supply room and, as a joke by his friends, is given one a size 44 instead of his size 34. While kicking about in disgust, he finds a letter in its pocket written by a young woman in the shirt factory who asks the "big guy" who gets it to write back. Bobby enters into a correspondence with her, Anna May Jackson (Burkett) of

Flatbush, Brooklyn Flatbush is a neighborhood in the New York City Borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood consists of several subsections in central Brooklyn and is generally bounded by Prospect Park (Brooklyn), Prospect Park to the nort ...

, New York. After becoming a hero of the

Battle of Argonne A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

and with the war over, Bobby returns to New York City but dreads telling Anna the truth. Therefore, he introduces another, larger soldier (Heyes) to Anna May. She refuses the substitute and forgives the real Bobby Jenks for his deception because, anyway, "he must have been a good mess cook."

Cast

* Gareth Hughes as Robert W. Jenks * Bartine Burkett as Anna May Jackson *

as Richard W. Jenks * Harry Lorraine as The Father *

Margaret Mann Margaret Mann (4 April 1868 – 4 February 1941, in Los Angeles, California), was a Scottish-American actress. Early years Mann was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, one of 10 children in her family. The family moved to South Africa when she was 12 ...

as Aunt Jane * Lois Lee as The Sweetheart *

Victor Potel Victor Potel (October 12, 1889 – March 8, 1947) was an American film character actor who began in the silent era and appeared in more than 430 films in his 38-year career. Career Victor Potel was born in Lafayette, Indiana in 1889, and his ...

as The Lover

References

Bibliography

* Ronald Berman. ''The Great Gatsby and Modern Times''. University of Illinois Press, 1996.

External links

* 1922 films 1922 comedy-drama films Films directed by George D. Baker American silent feature films American black-and-white films Metro Pictures films 1920s English-language films 1920s American films Silent American comedy-drama films English-language comedy-drama films {{silent-comedy-drama-film-stub