''Nothing But the Truth'' is a 1914

comedy novel A comic novel is a Novel, novel-length work of humorous fiction. Many well-known authors have written comic novels, including P. G. Wodehouse, Henry Fielding, Mark Twain, and John Kennedy Toole. Comic novels are often defined by the author's liter ...

by the American writer Frederic S. Isham. It was adapted into a hit 1916

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

play of the same title.

Film and stage adaptations

Playwright James Montgomery adapted ''Nothing But the Truth'' into a play which was a hit on

in 1916. Montgomery's stage adaptation of the novel was the basis for multiple film adaptations; including the 1920 silent film '' Nothing But the Truth'' by

Metro Pictures Metro Pictures Corporation was a Film, motion picture production company founded in early 1915 in Jacksonville, Florida. It was a forerunner of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The company produced its films in New York, Los Angeles, and sometimes at le ...

starring

Taylor Holmes Taylor Holmes (May 16, 1878 – January 29, 1959) was an American actor who appeared in over 100 Broadway theatre, Broadway plays in his five-decade career. However, he is probably best remembered for his screen performances, which he began on ...

and Poppy Wyndham. The play was also the basis for the 1929 sound film '' Nothing But the Truth'' directed by

Victor Schertzinger Victor L. Schertzinger (April 8, 1888 – October 26, 1941) was an American composer, film director, film producer, and screenwriter. His films include ''Paramount on Parade'' (co-director, 1930 in film, 1930), ''Something to Sing About (1937 fi ...

and starring

Richard Dix Richard Dix (born Ernst Carlton Brimmer; July 18, 1893 – September 20, 1949) was an American motion picture actor who achieved popularity in both silent film, silent and sound film. His standard on-screen image was that of the rugged and sta ...

and

Wynne Gibson Winifred Elaine "Wynne" Gibson (July 3, 1898 – May 15, 1987) was an American actress of the 1930s. Early years Gibson was born in New York City, the daughter of Frank W. Gibson and Elaine Coffin Gibson. Her father was an efficiency expert, and ...

. Several alternative language versions were produced by

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 ...

at their

Joinville Studios The Joinville Studios were a film studio in Paris which operated between 1910 and 1987. They were one of the leading French studios, with major companies such as Pathé and Gaumont Film Company, Gaumont making films there. A second studio was a ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

including '' The Naked Truth'' (German) and ''

The Pure Truth ''The Pure Truth'' () is a 1931 American comedy film directed by Florián Rey and Manuel Romero and starring José Isbert, Enriqueta Serrano and Manuel Russell. It was made at the Joinville Studios in Paris by Paramount Pictures, as the Span ...

'' (Spanish). In 1941 the film was remade, directed by

Elliott Nugent Elliott Nugent (September 20, 1896 – August 9, 1980) was an American actor, playwright, writer, and film director. Life and career Nugent was born in Dover, Ohio, the son of actor J.C. Nugent. He attended Ohio State University. He successf ...

and featuring

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was an American comedian, actor, entertainer and producer with a career that spanned nearly 80 years and achievements in vaudeville, network radio, television, and USO Tours. He appeared ...

and

Paulette Goddard Paulette Goddard (born Marion Levy; June 3, 1910 – April 23, 1990) was an American actress and socialite. Her career spanned six decades, from the 1920s to the early 1970s. She was a prominent leading actress during the Golden Age of Hollywood ...

. Montgomery also adapted his stage play into the 1926 musical ''

Yes, Yes, Yvette ''Yes, Yes, Yvette'' is a musical in three acts with lyrics by Irving Caesar and music by Philip Charig and Ben Jerome. James Montgomery and William Cary Duncan co-authored the musical's book which was based on Montgomery's 1916 play ''Nothing ...

''.

References

Bibliography

* Bordman, Gerald. ''American Theatre: A Chronicle of Comedy and Drama 1914-1930''. Oxford University Press, 1995. * Goble, Alan. ''The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film''. Walter de Gruyter, 1999. * Smith, Geoffrey D. ''American Fiction, 1901-1925: A Bibliography''. Cambridge University Press, 1997. 1914 American novels 1910s in comedy Novels by Frederic S. Isham American comedy novels Bobbs-Merrill Company books American novels adapted into films American novels adapted into plays {{1910s-comedy-novel-stub