Excuse My Dust | 1920 | Comedy, Drama

Title: Excuse My Dust | 1920 | Comedy, Drama Director: Sam Wood Studio: Famous Players-Lasky Starring: Wallace Reid, Ann Little, Theodore Roberts, Tully Marshall, Guy Oliver, Otto Brower Based on: “The Bear Trap” by Byron Morgan (The Saturday Evening Post, July 26, 1919) Release Date: March 21, 1920 Runtime: 50 minutes Format: Silent, black-and-white, English intertitles, 5 reels (approx. 4,330 feet) Country: United States Language: Silent (English intertitles) Genres: Comedy, Drama --- Summary: Former auto racer “Toodles” tries to honor his promise to give up speeding after marriage and fatherhood, but a lapse costs him his driving privileges and strains his home life. As his father‑in‑law’s automobile company faces hostile competition, a risky Los Angeles–to–San Francisco race becomes the stage for sabotage, split‑second decisions, and a desperate dash to reach his ailing child. Blending action with domestic stakes, the film explores the tension between thrill‑seeking and responsibility, and the pull of loyalty—both to family and to the machines that defined early motoring culture. --- Background: Excuse My Dust is the sequel to The Roaring Road (1919), continuing Wallace Reid’s popular “Toodles” character in another auto‑racing adventure. Produced by Famous Players‑Lasky and directed by Sam Wood, it adapts Byron Morgan’s short story “The Bear Trap” from The Saturday Evening Post. Released on March 21, 1920, the production included location work around San Francisco, and the surviving film is preserved in the Library of Congress. --- Trivia: Wallace Reid’s young son, Wallace Reid Jr., makes his first screen appearance in this film. The AFI Catalog records the original working title as The Bear Trap, taken from Byron Morgan’s 1919 short story. Variety’s contemporary review described the picture as “a real thriller.” A 50‑minute print has been screened at the Kansas Silent Film Festival, reflecting a surviving version of the film in circulation. The picture was produced by Famous Players‑Lasky and distributed by Paramount under the Paramount‑Artcraft banner. --- Hashtags: ExcuseMyDust WallaceReid SamWood SilentFilm ComedyDrama AutoRacing PublicDomain 1920sCinema