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Pudd'nhead Wilson (film)

Pudd'nhead Wilson
Thomas Meighan and Florence Dagmar in Pudd'nhead Wilson
Directed byFrank Reicher
Screenplay byMargaret Turnbull
Based onPudd'nhead Wilson
by Mark Twain
Produced byJesse L. Lasky
StarringTheodore Roberts
Alan Hale, Sr.
Thomas Meighan
Florence Dagmar
Jane Wolfe
Ernest Joy
CinematographyWalter Stradling
Production
company
Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • January 31, 1916 (1916-01-31)
Running time
50 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)

Pudd'nhead Wilson is a 1916 American silent comedy film directed by Frank Reicher and written by Margaret Turnbull. The film stars Theodore Roberts, Alan Hale, Sr., Thomas Meighan, Florence Dagmar, Jane Wolfe, and Ernest Joy. The film was released on January 31, 1916, by Paramount Pictures.[1][2]

Plot

The film revolves around a murder mystery. The story takes place in the mid 19th century. A biracial nurse named Roxy (Jane Wolff) swaps her son with her master's son. That son grows up as Tom Driscoll, while the real Tom grows up as the slave known as Chambers. Rowena Cooper comes from the North and falls in love with Chambers. Chambers is accused of murder and the eccentric lawyer Pudd'nhead Wilson looks for details. He uses fingerprints to uncover the real killer, but during his investigation he figures out Chambers and Tom were switched as infants.[3]

Cast

Censorship

Like many American films of the time, Pudd'nhead Wilson was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. For example, the Ohio Board of Censors, taking action to remove racist language in the film, required a cut of the intertitles "What you gwine to do for this chile, Marse? He's yours, too"; "You dirty nigger, how dare you touch a white woman?", "I've been working here . . . ain't I, nigger?", "I ain't your nigger any more, Marse Tom", "I'll pay you by buying one of Driscoll's yaller gals for you", "I hate all yellow girls. I don't feel like a nigger", "You're my son, nigger," "Out of my way, you old fool, I'm going to kill that nigger", and "Chambers, negro and slave", directing that in all intertitles that all references to the word "nigger" be removed, cut out the intertitle about a man riding ahead of his master, and remove the scenes where a white man resents the affectionate fondling of his mother and where a white man forcibly takes a young woman in his arms.[4]

Preservation

With no prints of Pudd'nhead Wilson located in any film archives,[5] it is a lost film.

References

  1. ^ Janiss Garza (2014). "Pudd-nhead-Wilson - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes - NYTimes.com". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on 25 December 2014. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
  2. ^ "Pudd'nhead Wilson (1916) - Overview - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
  3. ^ Janiss Garza (2014). "Pudd-nhead-Wilson - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes - NYTimes.com". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on 25 December 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  4. ^ Platz, Paul Alwyn (4 March 1916). "New Laws And Court Decisions: Ohio Censor Scissors Snip Without Rhyme or Reason". Motion Picture News. 13 (9). New York City: Exhibitor's Times, Inc.: 1304. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  5. ^ The Library of Congress / FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: Pudd'nhead Wilson
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