The Barker
| The Barker | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | George Fitzmaurice |
| Produced by |
Al Rockett Richard A. Rowland |
| Written by |
Benjamin Glazer Joseph Jackson Herman J. Mankiewicz (Titles) |
| Based on |
The Barker by Kenyon Nicholson |
| Starring |
Milton Sills Dorothy Mackaill Betty Compson Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. |
| Music by | Louis Silvers |
| Cinematography | Lee Garmes |
| Editing by | Stuart Heisler |
| Distributed by | First National Pictures |
| Release dates | December 9, 1928 |
| Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language |
Silent film English intertitles |
The Barker is a 1928 part-talkie pre-code romantic drama film produced and released by First National Pictures, a subsidiary of Warner Brothers. (First National had been acquired by Warner Brothers in September 1928.) The film was directed by George Fitzmaurice and stars Milton Sills, Dorothy Mackaill, Betty Compson, and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr..
The film was adapted by Benjamin Glazer, Joseph Jackson and Herman J. Mankiewicz from the play by Kenyon Nicholson. The Barker is a part-talkie with talking sequences and sequences with Synchronized musical scoring and sound effects.[1][2]
Synopsis
The film tells the story of a woman (Dorothy Mackaill) who comes between a man (Milton Sills) and his estranged son (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) Sills is a carnival barker who is in love with a dancing girl and is ambitious to have his son, Fairbanks, become a lawyer. Fairbanks has other ideas and during his vacation he hops a freight, joins the carnival, and weds a dancing girl (Mackaill). Eventually, Fairbanks fulfills the ambition his father had for him.
Cast
- Betty Compson – Carrie
- Milton Sills – Nifty Miller
- Dorothy Mackaill – Lou
- Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. – Chris Miller
- Sylvia Ashton – Ma Benson
- George Cooper – Hap Spissel
- S. S. Simon – Col. Gowdy
- One-Eye Connelly –
- Tom Dugan – Stuttering Spieker
uncredited
- Bobby Dunn – Hamburger Concessionaire
- Pat Harmon – Heckler
- Bynunsky Hyman – Fire Eater
- Gladden James – Member of Hawaiian Trio
- Charles Sullivan – Man in audience
- Pat West -Bartender
Award nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Academy Award | Nominated | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Betty Compson |
Preservation
The film survives intact with its sound and has been preserved by UCLA.
Play origin
The film is based on the Broadway play of the same name which opened at the Biltmore Theatre January 18, 1927 and ran until July 1927 for 221 performances. In the play Walter Huston was 'Nifty' and a still relatively unknown Claudette Colbert was 'Lou', played in the film by Dorothy Mackaill.[3]
Remakes
The Barker was remade as Hoop-La (1933) with Clara Bow and as Diamond Horseshoe (1945) with Betty Grable. Japanese director Yasujirō Ozu remade this film in A Story of Floating Weeds (1934) and again in Floating Weeds (1959).
References
- ↑ The Barker at silentera.com
- ↑ The American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films: 1921-30 by The American Film Institute, c.1971
- ↑ The Barker on Broadway at the Biltmore Hotel, Jan. 18 1927 to July 1927; IBDb.com
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Barker (film). |
- The Barker at the Internet Movie Database
- The Barker at allmovie
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