''Saturday Night'' is a 1922 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 directed by

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American filmmaker and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of American cinema and the most co ...

and starring

Leatrice Joy Leatrice Joy (born Leatrice Johanna Zeidler; November 7, 1893 – May 13, 1985) was an American actress most prolific during the silent film era. Early life Joy was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, to dentist Edward Joseph Zeidler. She at ...

Conrad Nagel John Conrad Nagel (March 16, 1897 – February 24, 1970) was an American film, stage, television and radio actor. He was considered a famous matinée idol and leading man of the 1920s and 1930s. He was given an Honorary Academy Award in 1940, a ...

, and Edith Roberts. It was Leatrice Joy's first film with DeMille.

Plot

Shamrock O'Day, a poor laundress dreams of a marrying a rich man. Her neighbour Tom McGuire, the chauffeur of socialite Iris van Suydam, is secretly in love with his mistress. On the other side of the city, Iris is not happy with her pampered life and she dreams of living in a vine-covered cottage. Her rich young fiancé Richard Prentiss is just as tired of women of her class as she is bored with men of his. When Shamrock comes to deliver laundry at Richard's house, she meets him by chance and he falls in love with her. He proposes to drive her home and tells Iris to wait for him. She decides to go for a picnic with her chauffeur Tom and, after letting her car being crushed by a train, falls into Tom's arms. In the evening, Richard provocatively dances at a formal party with Shamrock, which causes his sister Elsie to announce her brother's engagement to Iris. Tom, having read the announcement in the press wants to leave Iris's service but she tells him she wants to marry him. The fact that her rich uncle clear all her allowances and she is left without a penny does not deter her. As soon as he hears the news, Richard decides to marry Shamrock. Soon, Shamrock, who feels she is despised by Richard's family and friends is almost as desperate as Iris who must live in a tiny apartment next to a railway and spend her time cooking and cleaning. She decides to hire Tom as her chauffeur despite Richard and Iris's opposition. One evening, they go together to Coney Island. When they come back, they find Richard and Iris waiting for them. Iris tells Richard they are too different to live together. While Richard and Iris try to persuade their spouses that they love them, a fire breaks out. Richard saves Iris's life. Seven years later, Shamrock and Tom are happily married and have several children, while Richard and Iris are still pondering whether it is time to mend their broken engagement.Review, synopsis and link to watch the film:

Cast

as Iris Van Suydam *

as Richard Prentiss * Edith Roberts as Shamrock O'Day *

Jack Mower Jack Mower (September 5, 1890 – January 6, 1965) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 520 films between 1914 and 1965. He was born in Honolulu and died in Hollywood. After studying at Punahou College, in Honolulu, Mower moved ...

as Tom McGuire *

Julia Faye Julia Faye Maloney (September 24, 1892 – April 6, 1966), known professionally as Julia Faye, was an American actress of silent and sound films. She was known for her appearances in more than 30 Cecil B. DeMille productions. Her various roles ...

as Elsie Prentiss *

Edythe Chapman Edythe Chapman (October 8, 1863 – October 15, 1948) was an American stage and silent film actress. Career Born in Rochester, New York, Chapman began her stage career as early as 1898 when she appeared in New York City in ''The Charity Ball''. ...

as Mrs. Prentiss *

Theodore Roberts Theodore Roberts (October 8, 1861 – December 14, 1928) was an American film and stage actor. Early life Roberts was born in San Francisco, California. He was a cousin of the stage actress Florence Roberts. His choice of a career disap ...

as Uncle *

Sylvia Ashton Sylvia Ashton (January 26, 1880 – November 18, 1940) was an American film actress of the silent film era. Ashton was born in Denver, Colorado. She bore a heavyset resemblance to Jane Darwell and like Darwell was playing mother and grand ...

as Mrs. O'Day * John Davidson as The Count Demitry Scardoff * James Neill as Tompkins *

Winter Hall Winter Amos Hall (21 June 1872 – 10 February 1947) was a New Zealand actor of the silent film, silent era who later appeared in sound films. He performed in more than 120 films between 1916 and 1938. Prior to that, he had a career as a st ...

as The Professor *

Lillian Leighton Lillianne Brown Leighton (May 17, 1874 – March 19, 1956), known professionally as Lillian Leighton, was an American silent film actress. Leighton started her career in Chicago. Leighton was born in Auroraville, Wisconsin, on May 17, 187 ...

as Mrs. Ferguson *

William Boyd William, Willie, Will or Bill Boyd may refer to: Academics * William Boyd (educator) (1874–1962), Scottish educator * William Boyd (pathologist) (1885–1979), Scottish-Canadian professor and author * William Alexander Jenyns Boyd (1842–1928), ...

(uncredited) * Viora Daniel (uncredited)

Preservation and Availability

Complete prints of ''Saturday Night'' are held by: * Cinematheque Royale de Belgique *

George Eastman Museum The George Eastman Museum, also referred to as George Eastman House and the International Museum of Photography and Film, is a photography museum in Rochester, New York. Opened to the public in 1949, is the oldest museum dedicated to photography ...

(on 35 mm film) * EYE Filmmuseum *

UCLA Film and Television Archive The UCLA Film & Television Archive is a visual arts organization focused on the film preservation, preservation, film studies, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). As a nonpro ...

(on 35 mm film) *

Academy Film Archive The Academy Film Archive is part of the Academy Foundation, established in 1944 with the purpose of organizing and overseeing the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' educational and cultural activities, including the preservation of mot ...

(on video) *

Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington (IU Bloomington, Indiana University, IU, IUB, or Indiana) is a public university, public research university in Bloomington, Indiana, United States. It is the flagship university, flagship campus of Indiana Univer ...

(on

16 mm film 16 mm film is a historically popular and economical Film gauge, gauge of Photographic film, film. 16 mm refers to the width of the film (about inch); other common film gauges include 8 mm film, 8 mm and 35mm movie film, 35 mm. It ...

) In 2014, it was released on DVD by Alpha Home Entertainment.

References

External links

* * {{Cecil B. DeMille 1922 films 1922 romantic comedy films American silent feature films American black-and-white films Famous Players-Lasky films Films shot in California Films directed by Cecil B. DeMille Paramount Pictures films 1920s American films Silent American romantic comedy films 1920s English-language films English-language romantic comedy films Rediscovered American films Surviving American silent films 1920s rediscovered films