First Love (1921 film)

First Love
Ad for film
Directed byMaurice Campbell
Written bySonya Levien (story)
Percy Heath
Aubrey Staufer
Produced byRealart Pictures
StarringConstance Binney
Warner Baxter
CinematographyH. Kinley Martin
Production
company
Realart Pictures Corporation
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • December 1921 (1921-12)
Running time
5 reels
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)

First Love is a 1921 American silent romantic comedy film produced by the Realart Pictures Corporation and distributed through the related Paramount Pictures. It stars Constance Binney and was directed by Maurice Campbell. Warner Baxter has one of his earliest screen portrayals here. Only the first reel of this film is known to survive at the Museum of Modern Art.[1][2]

Plot

As described in a film magazine,[3] factory worker Kathleen O'Donnell (Binney) has fallen in love with ambulance driver Harry Stanton (Webb). After her father Tad O'Donnell (Hernandez), who knows Harry's true character, forbids him in the house, Kathleen leaves home and works overtime at the factory for funds for Harry to complete his medical education, a course of study which exists only in fiction. The efforts of her family and other employees to show her error lead her to quit her factory job and take a job as a waitress at a restaurant, where she sees him dining with his lady friends. Her discovery of his perfidy results in an attack on him that injures his sight. She later has a happy ending as the owner of the factory Donald Halliday (Baxter) has an interest in her.

Cast

Summary in stills

The December 24, 1921 issue of Exhibitors Herald illustrated the plot of First Love using a series of twenty numbered stills presented without any explanatory captions.[4] The order of the stills may altered from that of the film since stills 10 and 16 appear to be from the same scene (the apron may indicate that these are from when she was working as a waitress at a restaurant) and 9 and 19 show Binney sitting with the same hair style.

  • Still 1
    Still 1
  • Still 2
    Still 2
  • Still 3
    Still 3
  • Still 4
    Still 4
  • Still 5
    Still 5
  • Still 6
    Still 6
  • Still 7
    Still 7
  • Still 8
    Still 8
  • Still 9
    Still 9
  • Still 10
    Still 10
  • Still 11
    Still 11
  • Still 12
    Still 12
  • Still 13
    Still 13
  • Still 14
    Still 14
  • Still 15
    Still 15
  • Still 16
    Still 16
  • Still 17
    Still 17
  • Still 18
    Still 18
  • Still 19
    Still 19
  • Still 20
    Still 20

References

  1. ^ Anthony Slide, Silent Players: A Biographical and Autobiographical Study of 100 Silent Film Actors and Actresses; pp. 21-24 c.2002
  2. ^ The American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films: 1921-30 by The American Film Institute, c.1971
  3. ^ "Reviews: First Love". Exhibitors Herald. 13 (22). New York City: Exhibitors Herald Company: 52. November 26, 1921.
  4. ^ "Life's Promenade: A Processional for First Love". Exhibitors Herald. 13 (26). New York City: Exhibitors Herald Company: 94–95. December 24, 1921.
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