Gentle Julia (1923 film)

Silent film by Rowland V. Lee

December 24, 1923 (1923-12-24) (U.S.)

Running time

60 minutes; 6 reels^[1] (5,837 feet)^[2]CountryUnited StatesLanguageSilent (English intertitles)

Gentle Julia is a 1923 American silent romantic drama film based on the popular novel Gentle Julia by Booth Tarkington. Directed by Rowland V. Lee, the film starred Bessie Love. It was produced and distributed by Fox Film Corporation, and is considered a lost film.^[3]

Plot

Julia Atwater (Love) is the most popular girl in her Midwestern small town. She has many suitors, but she chooses an older man, Mr. Crum (Elliott). When he takes her back to his home in Chicago, she finds out he is married. She leaves him, returning to neighbor Noble Dill (Goodwin).^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]

Cast

Bessie Love as Julia Atwater
Harold Goodwin as Noble Dill
Frank Elliott as Randolph Crum
Charles K. French as John Atwater
Clyde Benson as George Atwater
Harry Dunkinson as Uncle Joe Atwater
Jack Rollens as Newland Sanders
Frances Miller as Mrs. Joe Atwater (credited as Frances Grant)
William Irving as George Plum
Agnes Aker as Mrs. George Atwater
William Berke as Herbert Atwater (credited as William Lester)
Gypsy Norman as Mrs. Herbert Atwater
Mary Arthur as Florence Atwater
Richard Billings as Herbert Atwater Jr
Frank Norcross as Uncle Charlie Patterson
Emma Tansey as Aunt Fannie Patterson
Harvey Clark as Ridgely
Mde. Sul-Te-Wan as Kitty Silver
Frank Farrington as Dill
Virginia Johnson as Mrs. Dill
Leslie Fenton (uncredited)^[9]

Production

Love was cast because she was "the last girl in Hollywood with long hair", although she was unaware of this and got an "Eton crop" haircut before filming commenced.^[10]

Reception

The film was well received.^[11]^[12]^[13] Love's performance drew mixed reviews, with some giving her praise, and others deeming her as miscast.^[1]^[11] Arthur's performance as the young niece drew rave reviews.^[7]

References

^ ^a ^b "What the Picture Did for Me". Exhibitors Herald. Vol. 18, no. 13. March 22, 1924. p. 68.
^ "Current and Advance Film Releases". The Moving Picture World. Vol. 66, no. 4. January 26, 1924. p. 326.
^ ^a ^b Munden, Kenneth W., ed. (1971). The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States: Feature Films 1921–1930. New York: R.R. Bowker Company. p. 284. OCLC 664500075.
^ "Gentle Julia". The Ottawa Journal. Ottawa, Canada. April 12, 1924. p. 19.
^ "'Gentle Julia' at Princess". Reading Eagle. December 17, 1924.
^ Kelly, Mary (January 19, 1924). "Newest Reviews and Comments". Moving Picture World. pp. 217–8.
^ ^a ^b Reid, Laurence (January 19, 1924). "Pre-Release Reviews of Features". Motion Picture News. Vol. 29, no. 3. p. 276.
^ "Gentle Julia". Screen Opinions. Vol. 13, no. 11. February 1, 1924. p. 172.
^ "Bessie Love in Title Role". Film Daily. September 24, 1923. p. 4 col. 2.
^ Love, Bessie (December 5, 1969). "Grease Paint and the Rent". The Christian Science Monitor. p. 12.
^ ^a ^b Brumell, Marguerite A. (1924). "Box Office Reviews". Exhibitors Trade Review. p. 22.
^ "Reviews of the Newest Features". The Film Daily. Vol. 27, no. 4. January 6, 1924. p. 7.
^ "Spirit of Tarkington's Novel Well Preserved". Exhibitors Herald. Vol. 18, no. 1. December 29, 1923. p. 142.