''We Moderns'' is a 1925 American silent

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by John Francis Dillon and starring

Colleen Moore Colleen Moore (born Kathleen Morrison; August 19, 1899 – January 25, 1988) was an American film actress who began her career during the silent film era. Moore became one of the most fashionable (and highly-paid) stars of the era and helped po ...

. The film was produced by Moore's husband John McCormick and was released through

First National Pictures First National Pictures was an American motion picture production and distribution company. It was founded in 1917 as First National Exhibitors' Circuit, Inc., an association of independent theatre owners in the United States, and became the count ...

. It was based on the play and novel by

Israel Zangwill Israel Zangwill (21 January 18641 August 1926) was a British author at the forefront of Zionism during the 19th century, and was a close associate of Theodor Herzl. He later rejected the search for a Jewish homeland in Palestine and became the ...

, which ran for 22 performances in 1924 at the Gaiety Theatre in New York, produced and directed by

Harrison Grey Fiske Harrison Grey Fiske (July 30, 1861 – September 2, 1942) was an American journalist, playwright and Broadway producer who fought against the monopoly of the Theatrical Syndicate, a management company that dominated American stage bookings ...

and starring

Helen Hayes Helen Hayes MacArthur (; October 10, 1900 – March 17, 1993) was an American actress. Often referred to as the "First Lady of American Theatre", she was the second person and first woman to win EGOT, the EGOT (an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and ...

and Isabel Irving.

Plot

As described in a film magazine review, Mary Sundale is a young woman who spurns her childhood sweetheart to attach herself to a large group of riotous, semi-artistic young people and becomes infatuated with a superficial poet and critic. One night this poet becomes too bold in his advances and is thrashed by the man who has been rejected. On a later night, the group holds a party in a dirigible. The ship crashes and fear grips the revelers. Mary, now disgusted with the group and all it represents, mends her manner of living and plans a future with the man who has always sincerely loved her.

Cast

Production

Portions of the film were shot on location in and around London while Colleen was in the city during her European tour, which was undertaken to promote her films ''So Big'' and ''Sally''. Those portions were directed by her husband and depicted a scavenger hunt, so that the production could visit many famous and recognizable London locations . A car was purchased specifically for the film and was shipped back to the states so that the film could be completed at the studio. Colleen had to acquire a special permit to drive. The film was intended to be an English look at the flapper, and the story shared many of the same elements of Colleen's star-making ''Flaming Youth''. As in ''Flaming Youth'', Colleen's brother Cleeve had a part in this film as well. He played the brother of Colleen's character.

Preservation

With no record of any prints of ''We Moderns'' located in any film archives,The Library of Congress/FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: ''We Moderns''
/ref> it is a

lost film A lost film is a feature film, feature or short film in which the original negative or copies are not known to exist in any studio archive, private collection, or public archive. Films can be wholly or partially lost for a number of reasons. ...

References

Bibliography

*Jeff Codori, ''Colleen Moore; A Biography of the Silent Film Star''
McFarland Publishing (2012)
(print) (eBook)

External links

* 1925 films Silent American comedy films American silent feature films American films based on plays Films directed by John Francis Dillon Lost American comedy films Films set in London Films shot in London First National Pictures films American black-and-white films 1925 comedy films 1925 lost films 1920s American films 1920s English-language films English-language comedy films {{1920s-silent-comedy-film-stub