Humoresque (1920 film)
| Humoresque | |
|---|---|
 Advertisement for screening of the film at Tremont Temple, Boston, 1920 | |
| Directed by | Frank Borzage |
| Produced by | William Randolph Hearst (uncredited) |
| Written by |
William LeBaron Frances Marion |
| Story by | Fannie Hurst |
| Starring |
Gaston Glass Vera Gordon Bobby Connelly Alma Rubens |
| Music by | Hugo Riesenfeld |
| Cinematography | Gilbert Warrenton |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 71 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
Humoresque (1920) is an American silent drama film produced by Cosmopolitan Productions, released by Famous Players-Lasky and Paramount Pictures, and was directed by Frank Borzage from a short story by Fannie Hurst and script or scenario by Frances Marion.
This film was the first film to win the Photoplay Medal of Honor, a precursor of the Academy Award for Best Picture.[2]
In 2015, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[3]
Plot
As described in a film magazine,[4] Abraham Kantor, born in the squalor of New York City's East Side, shows an early musical ability that wins his mother's support despite the obstacles in his way. As time goes on he improves his talent until, just as he is about to sign an important contract, he is called to war. Returning after being wounded and pronounced crippled for life, he is broken in spirit as well as in body, losing faith in all that he formerly held dear. Again his mother's love comes to his support, and a happy result comes when he recovers the use of his arm and again takes up the violin.
Cast
- Gaston Glass as Leon Kantor
- Vera Gordon as Mama Kantor
- Alma Rubens as Gina Berg (aka Minnie Ginsberg)
- Dore Davidson as Abraham Kantor
- Bobby Connelly as Leon Kantor (child)
- Helen Connelly as Esther Kantor (child)
- Ann Wallack as Esther Kantor (adult) (credited as Ann Wallick)
- Sidney Carlyle as Mannie Kantor
- Joseph Cooper as Isadore Kantor (child)
- Maurice Levigne as Isadore Kantor (adult)
- Alfred Goldberg as Rudolph Kantor (child)
- Edward Stanton as Rudolph Kantor (adult)
- Louis Stern as Sol Ginsberg (credited as Louis Stearns)
- Maurice Peckre as Boris Kantor
- Ruth Sabin as Mrs. Isadore Kantor
- Miriam Battista as Minnie Ginsberg (child)
Preservation status
The film has undergone a restoration at the UCLA Film and Television Archive.[5]
References
- ↑ "Humoresque". YouTube. 1920. Film preserved by the UCLA Film, Television & Radio Archives.
- ↑ "Photoplay Awards, Awards for 1920, Medal of Honor Winner".
- ↑ Mike Barnes (December 16, 2015). "'Ghostbusters,' 'Top Gun,' 'Shawshank' Enter National Film Registry". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
- ↑ "Reviews: Humoresque". Exhibitors Herald. New York City: Exhibitors Herald Company. 10 (22): 70. May 29, 1920.
- ↑ Progressive Silent Film List: Humoresque at silentera.com
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Humoresque (1920 film). |