''Young Nowheres'' is a 1929 American sound ( All-Talking)

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Frank Lloyd Frank William George Lloyd (2 February 1886 – 10 August 1960) was a Scottish-American film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. He was among the founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and was its president from ...

and starring

Richard Barthelmess Richard Semler Barthelmess (May 9, 1895 – August 17, 1963) was an American film actor, principally of the Hollywood silent era. He starred opposite Lillian Gish in D. W. Griffith's '' Broken Blossoms'' (1919) and ''Way Down East'' (1920) and ...

Marian Nixon Marian Nixon (born Marja Nissinen; October 20, 1904 – February 13, 1983) was an American film actress. Sometimes credited as Marion Nixon, she appeared in more than 70 films. Career Born in Superior, Wisconsin, in 1904, to parents of Finnish d ...

and

Bert Roach Egbert Roach (August 21, 1891 – February 16, 1971) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 320 films between 1914 and 1951. He was born in Washington, D.C., and died in Los Angeles, California, age 79. Selected filmography * ...

. It was produced and released by

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 ...

with a

Vitaphone Vitaphone was a sound film system used for feature films and nearly 1,000 short subjects made by Warner Bros. and its sister studio First National Pictures, First National from 1926 to 1931. Vitaphone is the last major analog sound-on-disc sys ...

soundtrack in both silent and sound versions.''..Young Nowheres''
afi.com; accessed June 22, 2017.

Plot

Albert “Binky” Whalen (Richard Barthelmess) is a kind-hearted, daydreaming elevator boy in a New York apartment building. Poor and idealistic, he supplements his meager income by shining shoes and cleaning residents’ apartments. He sleeps in a dingy basement, but holds on tightly to his dreams of something better. One day, while cleaning the upscale apartment of wealthy tenant Mr. Cleaver (Anders Randolf), who has gone away to California for the holidays, Binky is visited by Annie Jackson (Marian Nixon), a gentle and equally destitute orphan who is also his sweetheart. Together they marvel at the comforts of Cleaver’s apartment and imagine a life where they might one day have something so fine of their own. They escape to Coney Island for a day, and after falling asleep on the beach, wake up soaked by the tide. Binky gives Annie his worn-out coat to keep her warm, but the exposure leads to her developing pneumonia. She is hospitalized, and Binky visits her daily, using up every spare cent to comfort her. Out of the fifteen dollars he’s saved over six months, he buys her a soft white coat with a cheap fur collar. Remembering that Cleaver won’t be back until after Christmas, Binky decides to create a moment of peace and dignity for Annie upon her release. He prepares Cleaver’s empty apartment for her—with firewood, food, a pair of warm slippers, and a modest kimono. Annie is moved to tears when she’s brought to the cozy apartment. She basks in the warmth of the fireplace and the small luxuries Binky has managed to give her. Just as they begin to enjoy this brief glimpse of happiness, a key turns in the door—Cleaver has returned early. Shocked by the scene, he suspects impropriety and has both Binky and Annie arrested for using his apartment for immoral purposes. In court, Binky tells the full story. The judge (Scott Seaton), moved by their honesty and circumstances, declares that the real offense is the world’s indifference to young people like them who only want a chance at dignity and happiness. Cleaver, shamed by his own lack of compassion, drops the charges. Mr. Jesse (Bert Roach), a kind resident of the building who has always looked out for Binky, steps forward and offers to take responsibility for both Binky and Annie, promising to help them find a better path forward. The case is dismissed, and for the first time, the young couple is offered real hope for the future.

Cast

as Albert 'Binky' Whalen *

as Annie Jackson *

as Mr. Jesse *

Anders Randolf Anders Randolf (December 18, 1875 – July 2, 1930) was a Danish-American actor in American films from 1913 to 1930. Early biography Randolf was born in Viborg, Denmark on December 18, 1875. As a youth, he attended a military academy, graduate ...

as Cleaver * Ray Turner as George * Jocelyn Lee as Brunette * Scott Seaton as Judge

Background

Ida Alexa Ross Wylie Ida Alexa Ross Wylie (16 March 1885 – 4 November 1959), known by her pen name I.A.R. Wylie, was an Australian-British-American novelist, screenwriter, short story writer, poet, and suffragette sympathiser who was honoured by the journalistic a ...

's short story of the same name was published in ''

The Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine published six times a year. It was published weekly from 1897 until 1963, and then every other week until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely circulated and influ ...

'' in 1927. Director

Louis King Louis King (June 28, 1898 – September 7, 1962) was an American actor and film director of westerns and adventure movies in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. Early years King was born in 1898 in Christiansburg, Virginia. His name was also written ...

read the story and bought the rights in order to adapt it for the screen. He approached Richard Barthelmess, who had played a similar role in ''

Tol'able David ''Tol'able David'' is a 1921 American silent film based on the 1917 Joseph Hergesheimer short story of the same name. It was adapted to the screen by Edmund Goulding and directed by Henry King for Inspiration Pictures. A rustic tale of vio ...

'' (1921), for the lead role, but

refused to lend Barthelmess for the project. Barthelmess acquired the story rights from King in early 1929 and persuaded First National to produce the film. The story was again adapted in 1937's ''

That Man's Here Again ''That Man's Here Again'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Louis King, written by Lillie Hayward, and starring Hugh Herbert, Mary Maguire, Tom Brown, Joe King and Teddy Hart. It was released by Warner Bros. on April 17, 1937. Plot Jim ...

'', directed by King.

Preservation status

The film's status is listed as unknown, suggesting that it may be lost.''Young Nowheres'' at silentera.com
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References

Bibliography

* Hans J. Wollstein. ''Strangers in Hollywood: the history of Scandinavian actors in American films from 1910 to World War II''. Scarecrow Press, 1994.

External links

* 1929 films 1929 drama films American drama films Films directed by Frank Lloyd 1920s English-language films First National Pictures films American black-and-white films Films based on works by I. A. R. Wylie 1920s American films Films set in Coney Island English-language drama films {{1920s-drama-film-stub