The Charm School (film)

The Charm School is a lost[1] 1921 American silent comedy film starring Wallace Reid. Produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed through Paramount Pictures this James Cruze directed film was based on a 1920 Broadway stage play and novel by Alice Duer Miller that starred veteran actress Minnie Dupree.[2] It is currently a lost film.[3][4] It was filmed on the campus of Pomona College in Claremont, California.[5]

The Charm School
1921 lobby poster
Directed byJames Cruze
Written byThomas J. Geraghty (scenario)
Based onThe Charm School
by Alice Duer Miller
Produced byAdolph Zukor
Jesse Lasky
StarringWallace Reid
Lila Lee
CinematographyC. Edgar Schoenbaum
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • January 1921 (1921-01)
Running time
5 reels; (4,743 feet)
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)

Plot

As summarized in a film publication,[6] when Mrs. Rolles (Farrington) insists that she will not have Austin Bevans (Reid) as a son-in-law, he insists that she will. But when his aunt dies and leaves Austin a girl's boarding school in her will, Austin gives up his suit of Susie Rolles (Bains) and decides to run the school. Under his aunt's regime the girls studied microbes, etc., but Austin turns it into a charm school where the girls are taught dancing, fencing, and grace in general. Elsie (Lee), one of the students, immediately falls in love with Austin, but he fails to respond. She then tries to vamp him, but when Austin does not fall she tells him directly that she loves him. Elsie's uncle is very interested in the young Austin. When Mrs. Rolles hears of how well he is getting along, she tries to patch things up between Austin and her daughter Susie, and tells Elsie that the two are engaged. While Elsie is brokenhearted, in the end all turns out well for her and Austin.

Cast
Wallace Reid
Beulah Bains

Remake

The story was remade in 1936 as the film Collegiate.

References
  1. The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog:The Charm School
  2. The AFI Catalog of Feature Films:The Charm School
  3. Progressive Silent Film List: The Charm School at silentera.com
  4. The Charm School as presented on Broadway, Bijou Theatre; August-October 1920
  5. Balchunas, Michael (October 1, 2005). "The Duke on the Quad". Pomona College Magazine. Pomona College. Archived from the original on September 1, 2006. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  6. "The Charm School: Picture Not as Good as Play but May Satisfy". Film Daily. New York City: Wyd's Films and Film Folks, Inc. 15 (7): 15. January 9, 1921. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
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