A Small Town Idol

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A Small Town Idol
Advertisement with Phyllis Haver, Dot Farley, and Ben Turpin
Directed byMack Sennett
Erle C. Kenton
Produced byMack Sennett
CinematographyErnie Crocket
Perry Evans
J. R. Lockwood
Edited byAllen McNeil
Production
company
Distributed byAssociated First National
Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. (re-release)
Release date
  • February 13, 1921 (1921-02-13)
Running time
70 minutes; 7 reels
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)

A Small Town Idol is a 1921 American silent feature comedy film produced by Mack Sennett and released through Associated First National. The film stars Ben Turpin and was made and acted by many of the same Sennett personnel from his previous year's Down on the Farm. Sennett and Erle C. Kenton directed.[1][2]

The picture was Sennett’s biggest undertaking to date, costing $350,000 and required over a year to make.[1]

Plot[edit]

Sam (Turpin) leaves town after being falsely accused of a crime and becomes a film star in Hollywood working with actress Marcelle Mansfield (Prevost). He returns to his home town hailed as a hero where one of his films is shown in the theater. His rival Jones (Finlayson), who wants Sam's girlfriend Mary (Haver), frames Sam for the shooting of Mary's father. Just as the townspeople are about to lynch Sam, Mary arrives to prove Sam's innocence and the two are reconciled.

Cast[edit]

Prevost and Turpin star in the western being shown in the town's theater

uncredited performers

Notes[edit]

  • This was Ramon Novarro's seventh film, where he was billed as Ramon Samaniegos.
  • Copies of the film exist in archives, such as Gosfilmofond.
  • In 1939, Warner Bros. cut it down to two reels, adding music, sound effects and narration, and released it as a "Broadway Brevity."

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b The American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films: 1921-30 by The American Film Institute, c. 1971
  2. ^ A Small Town Idol at silentera.com

External links[edit]