It's the Old Army Game
It's the Old Army Game is a 1926 American silent comedy film starring W. C. Fields and Louise Brooks. The film was directed by Eddie Sutherland and co-stars Sutherland's aunt, the stage actress Blanche Ring in one of her few silent film appearances. The film is based on the revue The Comic Supplement by Joseph P. McEvoy and Fields, and included several skits from Fields' stage plays.[1] The "army game" in the title is in reference to a shell game, a con-trick which Fields’ character observes being played. "It's the old army game" he says, sagely.
| It's the Old Army Game | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Eddie Sutherland |
| Produced by | Adolph Zukor Jesse L. Lasky William LeBaron (associate producer) |
| Written by | Thomas J. Geraghty (scenario) J. Clarkson Miller (scenario) |
| Story by | Joseph P. McEvoy William LeBaron |
| Based on | The Comic Supplement by Joseph P. McEvoy |
| Starring | W. C. Fields Louise Brooks |
| Cinematography | Alvin Wyckoff |
| Edited by | Thomas J. Geraghty |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 70 mins. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
Cast
- W. C. Fields as Elmer Prettywillie
- Louise Brooks as Mildred Marshall
- Blanche Ring as Tessie Overholt
- William Gaxton as George Parker
- Mary Foy as Sarah Pancoast
- Mickey Bennett as Mickey
- Josephine Dunn as Society Bather
- Jack Luden as Society Bather
- George Currie as Artist
- Elise Cavanna as Nearsighted woman (uncredited)
- John Merton as Fireman (uncredited)
- Rose Elliott (uncredited)
Production
The film was shot mainly at Paramount's Astoria Studios facility in Astoria, Queens and in Manhattan, and is preserved complete in the Library of Congress.[2][3][4] A few outdoor scenes were filmed in Ocala, Florida and Palm Beach, Florida.[5]
References
- Louvish, Simon (1997). Man on the Flying Trapeze: The Life and Times of W. C. Fields. New York: W. W. Norton. pp. 244, 273. ISBN 0-393-04127-1.
- It's the Old Army Game at silentera.com
- The American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films:1921-30 by The American Film Institute, c. 1971
- Catalog of Holdings, The American Film Institute Collection and The United Artist Collection at The Library of Congress page 91 by The American Film Institute, c.1978
- Curtis, James (2003). W.C. Fields: A Biography. Alfred A. Knopf. p. 185. ISBN 0-375-40217-9.
External links
- It's the Old Army Game at IMDb
- It's the Old Army Game at SilentEra
- It's the Old Army Game at AllMovie