''Good References'' is a 1920 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 ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Roy William Neill Roy William Neill (born Roland de Gostrie, 4 September 1887 – 14 December 1946) was an Irish-born American film director best known for producing and directing almost all of the Sherlock Holmes (1939 film series), Sherlock Holmes films starr ...

and starring

Constance Talmadge Constance Alice Talmadge (April 19, 1898 – November 23, 1973) was an American silent film star. She was the sister of actresses Norma and Natalie Talmadge. Early life Talmadge was born on April 19, 1898, in Brooklyn, New York, to poor p ...

Vincent Coleman Vincent Coleman (February 16, 1900 – October 26, 1971) was an American stage and film actor of the silent film era of the late 1910s and early 1920s. Biography Born in Louisiana, Coleman began his acting career while still a young boy; tourin ...

Ned Sparks Ned Sparks (born Edward Arthur Sparkman, November 19, 1883 – April 3, 1957) was a Canadian character actor of the American stage and screen. He was known for his deadpan expression and comically nasal, monotone delivery. Life and career Spark ...

, Nellie Parker Spaulding, Mona Lisa, and

Matthew Betz Matthew Betz (September 13, 1881 – January 26, 1938) was an American film actor. Betz was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1881. Following an extended career in the U.S. Cavalry, Betz spent eight years in Vaudeville. His first stage play w ...

. It is based on the novel of the same name by E.J. Rath. The film was released by First National Exhibitors' Circuit in August 1920.

Plot

Mary Wayne is a resilient and attractive protagonist who faces the daunting predicament of being both jobless and penniless in a bustling metropolis. Commencing with her eviction from a boarding house due to breaching its regulations by cooking breakfast on a small

chafing dish A chafing dish is a metal cooking or serving pan on a stand with an alcohol burner holding chafing fuel below it. It is used for cooking at table, notably in gueridon service, or as a food warmer for keeping dishes at a buffet warm. Historica ...

. Mary serendipitously encounters Nell Norcross, a shrewd individual who has adeptly fabricated a set of character recommendations. Equipped with these falsified references, Mary secures the position of social secretary to the captivating young millionaire, William Marshall. To preserve her newfound role, Mary undertakes the arduous task of refining William's demeanor, transforming him from a rough-and-tumble individual into a polished gentleman capable of ascending the

social hierarchy Social stratification refers to a society's categorization of its people into groups based on socioeconomic factors like wealth, income, race, education, ethnicity, gender, occupation, social status, or derived power (social and political). ...

. Amidst the unfolding narrative, a series of comedic circumstances ensue. Notably, Mary and her accomplice, an acquaintance posing as William's valet, find themselves deserted onshore in their bathing suits after an impromptu swim, while William inadvertently sets sail without them. The film follows their subsequent journey back home, clad in scant attire, and the ensuing confrontation with William's sporting comrades at his family estate. As the story progresses, Mary learns valuable lessons about the futility of counterfeit "good references" in lieu of genuine qualifications. Her resilience and unwavering determination ultimately lead her to overcome her predicament and seize the Marshall fortune through a fortuitous union.

Cast

as Mary Wayne *

as William Marshall *

as Peter Stearns * Nellie Parker Spaulding as Caroline Marshall (credited as Nellie P. Spaulding) *Mona Lisa as Nell Norcross (credited as Mona Liza) *

as Kid Whaley (credited as Matthew L. Betts) *

Arnold Lucy Arnold Lucy (born Walter George Campbell, 8 August 1865 – 15 December 1945) was a British theatre and film actor, best known as Professor Kantorek in '' All Quiet on the Western Front'' (1930). Life and career Born in Tottenham on 8 August 18 ...

as the bishop *

Dorothy Walters Dorothy Walters (1877-1934) was an American stage performer and film actress noted for her work in vaudeville, in Broadway productions for nearly 30 years, and in silent films between 1918 and the mid-1920s. Early life and stage career Walte ...

as the

landlady A landlord is the owner of property such as a house, apartment, condominium, land, or real estate that is rented or leased to an individual or business, known as a tenant (also called a ''lessee'' or ''renter''). The term landlord appli ...

George Fawcett George Fawcett (August 25, 1860 – June 6, 1939) was an American stage and film actor of the silent era. Biography Born in Alexandria, Virginia, in 1860, Fawcett graduated from the University of Virginia. His initial inclination was to be a ...

as Major Colton

Preservation

A copy of ''Good References'' survives at Národní Filmový Archiv in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

.American Silent Feature Film Survival Database: ''Good References''
/ref>

References

External links

* 1920 films 1920 comedy-drama films 1920 romantic comedy films 1920 romantic drama films 1920s American films 1920s English-language films 1920s romantic comedy-drama films American black-and-white films American romantic comedy-drama films American silent feature films English-language romantic comedy-drama films Films based on American novels Films directed by Roy William Neill First National Pictures films Silent American comedy-drama films Silent American romantic comedy films Silent American romantic drama films Silent romantic comedy-drama films Surviving American silent films {{1920s-US-silent-comedy-film-stub