''The Poor Boob'' is a lost 1919 American silent

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

film directed by

Donald Crisp Donald William Crisp (27 July 188225 May 1974) was an English people, English film actor as well as an early producer, director and screenwriter. His career lasted from the early silent film era into the 1960s. He won an Academy Award for Best S ...

and 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 ...

. It starred

Bryant Washburn Franklin Bryant Washburn III (April 28, 1889 – April 30, 1963) was an American actor who appeared in more than 370 films between 1911 and 1947. Washburn's parents were Franklin Bryant Washburn II and Metha Catherine Johnson Washburn. He attend ...

Wanda Hawley Wanda Hawley (born Selma Wanda Pittack; July 30, 1895 – March 18, 1963) was an American actress during the silent film era. She entered the theatrical profession with an amateur group in Seattle, and later toured the United States and Cana ...

Richard Rosson Richard Rosson (April 4, 1893 – May 31, 1953) was an American film director and actor. As an actor, he was known for the nearly 100 films he was in during the silent era. As a director, he directed the logging sequences in the 1936 film '' C ...

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 ...

Raymond Hatton Raymond William Hatton (July 7, 1887 – October 21, 1971) was an American film actor who appeared in almost 500 motion pictures. Biography Hatton was born in Red Oak, Iowa. His physician father steered him toward a career in medicine. Howe ...

, and Jay Dwiggins.

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 ...

, Simpson Hightower (Washburn), known as Simp, leaves his hometown as a failure. He has been cheated out of the local canning factory, which had been in the family for two generations, by Stephen Douglas (Hatton). Douglas also won Tiny (Thurman), the girl of Simp's dreams. Simp goes to New York and works at Platt's Provision Factory, and holds the job for a considerable time until he makes a bonehead mistake and gets fired. Henry Platt's (Roberts) stenographer, Hope (Hawley), who has become fond of Simp, concocts a scheme to reestablish Simp by his posing as a millionaire in a nearby town with her as his secretary and Jimmy Borden (Rosson), the office boy, as his valet. Simp decides to go Hightower, his hometown. The town makes great preparations for the return of its successful son, and Simp arrives and is greeted by its prominent citizens. With his luck turning, he closes a contract for Platt, his old employer, with a commission of $5,000. Douglas, who let the canning factory go to pieces, is willing to sell out for that amount. Simp buys the place and is immediately approached by Platt, who has received word that his factory has burned down. Since he cannot fulfill the contract, Platt demands return of the $5,000. But Simp takes over the contract, borrows some money from the town banker, and is well on the way to his fortune. As his boyhood sweetheart Tiny now weights two hundred pounds, his youthful illusion has faded and he begins to look to Hope with the eyes of love.

Cast

as Simpson Hightower *

as Hope 'Pep' Sparks *

as Jimmy Borden *

as Henry Platt *

as Stephen Douglas *Jay Dwiggins as Benton * Charles Ogle as Tucker *

Jane Wolfe Sarah Jane Wolfe (March 21, 1875 – March 29, 1958) was an American silent film character actress who is considered an important female figure in Thelema. She was a friend and a colleague of Aleister Crowley and a founding member of Agape Lod ...

as Mrs. Benton *

Mary Thurman Mary Thurman (née Christiansen; April 27, 1895 – December 22, 1925) was an American actress of the silent film era. Early life Mary Christiansen was born in Richfield, Utah on April 27, 1895, one of seven children raised in the Church of ...

as Tiny Parcel *

Guy Oliver George Guy Oliver (September 25, 1878 – September 1, 1932) was an American actor. He appeared in at least 189 silent film era motion pictures and 32 talkies in character roles between 1911 and 1931. His obituary gives him credit for at least ...

as Hallock *

Clarence Geldart Clarence Geldart (June 9, 1867 – May 13, 1935) was an American film actor. He appeared in 127 films between 1915 and 1936. He was sometimes credited as C.H. Geldart or Charles H. Geldart. He was born in New Brunswick, Canada, and died i ...

as Mr. Swanson

References

External links

* 1919 films 1910s English-language films Silent American comedy films 1919 comedy films Paramount Pictures films Films directed by Donald Crisp American black-and-white films Lost American comedy films American silent feature films 1919 lost films 1910s American films English-language comedy films Lost silent American films {{1910s-comedy-film-stub