His First Flame | 1927 | Silent comedy

Title: His First Flame | 1927 | Silent comedy Director: Harry Edwards. Studio: Mack Sennett Productions. Starring: Harry Langdon, Natalie Kingston, Ruth Hiatt, Vernon Dent. Release Date: May 3, 1927. Runtime: 48 minutes. Format: Silent, black-and-white; English intertitles; 5 reels. Country: United States. Language: Silent . Genres: Silent comedy. --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Commencement and courtship 00:08:45 Uncle Amos’s warnings 00:18:30 Domestic “lesson” at the Benedicts 00:28:00 Street mishaps and disguise mix-up 00:36:30 Firehouse alarm and rescue attempt 00:44:00 First true flame --- Summary: A naïve college graduate, Harry Howells, plans to marry Ethel Morgan, unaware she is more interested in his presumed wealth. His woman-weary uncle, Fire Chief Amos McCarthy, urges him to abandon the idea, and Harry’s subsequent misadventures—from a chaotic visit with a quarrelsome married friend to a comic street fracas—only deepen his confusion. When a blaze breaks out, Amos rescues Ethel, leaving Harry crestfallen; but Ethel’s sister Mary, who sincerely cares for him, creates an opportunity for Harry to prove himself. In rescuing Mary, Harry discovers his first true flame. --- Background: Produced by Mack Sennett and written by Frank Capra and Arthur Ripley, the film was shot in spring 1925 but withheld until May 1927, after Langdon’s subsequent First National successes—an apparent bid to capitalize on his rising fame. It was released by Pathé Exchange, with sources noting both five- and six-reel versions circulating. New York opened the picture on April 30, 1927, ahead of general release. --- Trivia: The film’s New York premiere occurred on April 30, 1927; Variety listed a 55-minute running time for that engagement. Several uncredited appearances are reported, including Irving Bacon and Thelma Hill. Contemporary critic Mordaunt Hall in The New York Times praised Langdon’s “sad smiles and wide-eyed effects,” noting the picture’s effective comic situations. Langdon developed his distinctive, childlike screen persona with Sennett collaborators Capra and Ripley during this period, the team responsible for this feature’s scenario. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: May 3, 1927. Original Studio / Distributor: Mack Sennett Productions / Pathé Exchange. Copyright Status: Public Domain in the United States . Renewal: Unknown --- Hashtags: HisFirstFlame HarryLangdon SilentFilm ClassicComedy 1927 MackSennett PatheExchange PublicDomain Source page: https: //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:His_First_Flame_(1927).webm Direct media URL: https: //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/His_First_Flame_%281927%29.webm