The Better 'Ole | 1926 | Comedy-Drama, War

Title: The Better 'Ole | 1926 | Comedy-Drama, War Director: Charles Reisner Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. Starring: Sydney Chaplin, Doris Hill, Harold Goodwin, Jack Ackroyd, Theodore Lorch, Charles Gerrard Based on: The Better 'Ole, or The Romance of Old Bill by Bruce Bairnsfather and Arthur Eliot Release Date: October 23, 1926 Runtime: 97 minutes Format: 35mm; black-and-white; silent with English intertitles; synchronized music and effects via Western Electric Vitaphone sound-on-disc; 1.33:1 Country: United States Language: Silent with English intertitles Genres: Comedy-Drama; War --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Trenches and Old Bill introduced 00:19:00 Suspicions at the village inn 00:38:00 Opera house attack and escape 00:57:00 Behind enemy lines in disguise 01:16:00 Exposure of the spy and resolution --- Summary: During World War I, the wry British sergeant Old Bill stumbles onto a spy plot linking a local innkeeper with his own regimental major. A series of close calls sends Bill and his mate from a bombed theater to enemy lines in disguise, as they try to obtain proof of treachery and save their regiment. Blending broad comedy with wartime intrigue, the story follows Old Bill’s loyalty and resilience amid espionage, mistaken identities, and battlefield peril, culminating in the exposure of the conspirators and a narrow escape from execution. --- Background: Adapted from the popular 1917 stage hit by Bruce Bairnsfather and Arthur Eliot, the film was Warner Bros.’ early venture into synchronized sound, employing the Vitaphone sound-on-disc system for music and effects two months after Don Juan. Its New York opening on October 7, 1926, was part of a Vitaphone program that also featured Al Jolson’s short A Plantation Act. --- Trivia: Often cited as Warner Bros.’ second feature-length Vitaphone film, following Don Juan, it uses synchronized score and effects but no spoken dialogue. During restoration of the Vitaphone discs, UCLA’s Robert Gitt noted a faintly audible dubbed whisper—“coffee”—sometimes described as the first spoken word heard in a feature, though this claim is debated. According to the Warner Bros. Schaefer ledger, the film cost approximately $449,000 and earned about $1,273,000 worldwide. The surviving film and Vitaphone soundtrack are held at UCLA; one reel is believed missing in extant materials. Art direction is credited to Ben Carré; titles were written by Robert Hopkins, with Sandy Roth as assistant director. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: October 23, 1926 Original Studio / Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. Copyright Status: Public Domain --- Hashtags: TheBetterOle SydneyChaplin WarnerBros Vitaphone SilentFilm PublicDomain 1920sCinema WorldWarI ClassicFilm Source page: https: //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Better_%27Ole_(1926).webm Direct media URL: https: //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/The_Better_%27Ole_%281926%29.webm