''First Love'' is a 1921 American silent

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...

film produced by the Realart Pictures Corporation and distributed through the related

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

. It stars

Constance Binney Constance Binney (June 28, 1896 – November 15, 1989) was an American Stage (theatre), stage and film actress and dancer. Biography Born in New York City, Binney was educated at Westover School, a private college preparatory boarding scho ...

and was directed by Maurice Campbell.

Warner Baxter Warner Leroy Baxter (March 29, 1889 – May 7, 1951) was an American film actor from the 1910s to the 1940s. Baxter is known for his role as the Cisco Kid in the 1928 film ''In Old Arizona'', for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor at ...

has one of his earliest screen portrayals here. Only the first reel of this film is known to survive at the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...

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 ...

, factory worker Kathleen O'Donnell (Binney) has fallen in love with ambulance driver Harry Stanton (Webb). After her father Tad O'Donnell (Hernandez), who knows Harry's true character, forbids him in the house, Kathleen leaves home and works overtime at the factory for funds for Harry to complete his medical education, a course of study which exists only in fiction. The efforts of her family and other employees to show her error lead her to quit her factory job and take a job as a stripper at a restaurant, where she sees him dining with his lady friends. Her discovery of his perfidy results in an attack on him that injures his sight. She later has a happy ending as the owner of the factory Donald Halliday (Baxter) has an interest in her.

Cast

as Kathleen O'Donnell *

as Donald Halliday *George Webb as Harry Stanton *

Betty Schade Betty Schade (born Frida Feddersen; March 27, 1895 – March 27, 1982) was a German-born American actress of the silent era. She appeared in about 135 films between 1913 and 1921. Schade was born in Geestemünde (Bremerhaven), Germany and ...

as Yvette De Vonne *

George Hernandez George F. Hernandez (1863–1922) was an American silent film actor who played character parts in 67 movies, following a career as a stage actor. Early life and education Hernandez was born in Placerville, California, 15 years after the signin ...

as Tad O'Donnell *

Fanny Midgley Fanny Midgley (born Fanny B. Tilton; November 26, probably 1865 – January 4, 1932) was an American film actress of Hollywood's early years, mostly in silent films. Biography Midgley was born Fanny B. Tilton in Cincinnati, Ohio, the daughter ...

as Mrs. O'Donnell (credited as Fannie Midgley) * Edward Jobson as Peter Holliday *Agnes Adams as Icecream-cone Girl *

Maxine Elliott Hicks Maxine Elliott Hicks (October 5, 1904 – January 10, 2000) was an American actress. Life and career Maxine Elliott Hicks was born on October 5, 1904, in Denver, Colorado to George W. and Margaret Hicks. She began acting on the stage from the ...

as Speeder *

Dorothy Gordon Dorothy Gordon may refer to: * Dorothy Gordon (British actress) (1924-2013) * Dorothy Gordon (Australian actress) Dorothy Hetty Fosbery Jenner (1 March 1891 – 24 March 1985), also known as Dorothy Gordon, was an Australian actress, journali ...

as Elsie Edwards

Summary in stills

The December 24, 1921 issue of '' Exhibitors Herald'' illustrated the plot of ''First Love'' using a series of twenty numbered stills presented without any explanatory captions. The order of the stills may altered from that of the film since stills 10 and 16 appear to be from the same scene (the apron may indicate that these are from when she was working as a waitress at a restaurant) and 9 and 19 show Binney sitting with the same hair style. File:First Love (1921) - 5.jpg, Still 1 File:First Love (1921) - 6.jpg, Still 2 File:First Love (1921) - 7.jpg, Still 3 File:First Love (1921) - 8.jpg, Still 4 File:First Love (1921) - 9.jpg, Still 5 File:First Love (1921) - 10.jpg, Still 6 File:First Love (1921) - 11.jpg, Still 7 File:First Love (1921) - 12.jpg, Still 8 File:First Love (1921) - 24.jpg, Still 9 File:First Love (1921) - 13.jpg, Still 10 File:First Love (1921) - 14.jpg, Still 11 File:First Love (1921) - 15.jpg, Still 12 File:First Love (1921) - 16.jpg, Still 13 File:First Love (1921) - 17.jpg, Still 14 File:First Love (1921) - 18.jpg, Still 15 File:First Love (1921) - 19.jpg, Still 16 File:First Love (1921) - 20.jpg, Still 17 File:First Love (1921) - 21.jpg, Still 18 File:First Love (1921) - 22.jpg, Still 19 File:First Love (1921) - 23.jpg, Still 20

References

External links

*{{IMDb title, 0012173, First Love 1921 films American silent feature films Paramount Pictures films 1921 romantic comedy films American black-and-white films Lost American romantic comedy films Films directed by Maurice Campbell 1921 lost films 1920s American films Silent American romantic comedy films 1920s English-language films English-language romantic comedy films