''The Trouble Buster'' is a lost 1917 American

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

directed by

Frank Reicher Frank Reicher (born Franz Reichert; December 2, 1875 – January 19, 1965) was a German-born American actor, director and producer. He is best known for playing Captain Englehorn in the 1933 film ''King Kong''. Early life Reicher was born in M ...

, written by Tom Forman and Gardner Hunting, and starring

Vivian Martin Vivian Louise Martin (July 22, 1891 – March 16, 1987) was an American stage and silent film actress. Early life and career Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Martin was the daughter of Grace Gibbs and actor George Herbert Martin. ...

, James Neill,

Paul Willis Paul Willis (born 1945) is a British social scientist known for his work in sociology and cultural studies. Paul Willis' work is widely read in the fields of sociology, anthropology, and education, his work emphasizing consumer culture, sociali ...

, Charles West, Louise Harris, and

Mary Mersch Mary Mersch (January 4, 1887 – February 26, 1956), sometimes credited as May Mersch, was an American actress active from the silent era up to 1938. She was under contract with Fox, and often worked with directors like William Farnum and Fra ...

. It was released on October 8, 1917, 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 ...

Plot

As described in a film magazine, after the death of her father, Michelna (Martin) is threatened with being sent to an orphan's asylum. She escapes and becomes the companion of "Blackie" Moyle (Willis), a newsboy. Donning his clothes she too sells newspapers. One night she is lured to a flat by Tip Morgan (West), a crook. Blackie rescues her, but in the struggle is blinded. Michelna has a statue that she has made and calls the Trouble Buster. She takes it to an art exhibit and it gains immediate favor. Blackie is given the credit for the statue, and with the money from the statue is able to get an operation which restores his sight. Michelna has taken an abode with some suburban folks where she works as the maid. One day while she is paying Tip some "silence" money, Blackie enters the scene, drives Tip away, and declares his love for her.

Cast

as Michelna Libelt * James Neill as Franz Libelt *

as "Blackie" Moyle * Charles West as Tip Morgan *Louise Harris as Mrs. Camden *

as Ruth Camden *

Vera Lewis Vera Lewis (June 10, 1873 – February 8, 1956) was an American film and stage actress, beginning in the silent film era. She appeared in more than 180 films from 1915 to 1947. She was married to actor Ralph Lewis. Biography She was born ...

as Mrs. Westfall

Reception

Like many American films of the time, ''The Trouble Buster'' was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. The Chicago Board of Censors required a cut of a scene with the crook striking a boy on the head with a bottle.

References

External links

* 1917 films 1910s English-language films Silent American drama films 1917 drama films Paramount Pictures films American black-and-white films American silent feature films Lost American drama films 1917 lost films English-language drama films Films directed by Frank Reicher 1910s American films {{1910s-drama-film-stub