The Patsy (1928)

Director:

King Vidor

Writers:

Barry Conners (story) (play)
Agnes Christine Johnston (adaptation)
(more)

Release Date:

22 April 1928 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Plot Keywords:

Harbor | Impersonation | Argument | Etiquette | Motorboat

Cast

Marion Davies	...	Patricia Harrington
Orville Caldwell	...	Tony Anderson
Marie Dressler	...	Ma Harrington
Lawrence Gray	...	Billy Caldwell
Dell Henderson	...	Pa Harrington
Jane Winton	...	Grace Harrington
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
William H. O'Brien	...	Waiter (uncredited)

Directed by
King Vidor

Writing credits
Barry Conners		(story) (play)
Agnes Christine Johnston		(adaptation and continuity)
Ralph Spence		(titles)

Produced by
Marion Davies	....	producer (uncredited)
William Randolph Hearst	....	producer (uncredited)
King Vidor	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Vivek Maddala

Cinematography by
John F. Seitz

Film Editing by
Hugh Wynn

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Costume Design by
Gilbert Clark

Music Department
Richard Bronskill	....	orchestrator
Vivek Maddala	....	conductor

Production Companies

• Cosmopolitan Productions (for)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1928) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount-Ufa-Metro-Verleihbetriebe GmbH (Parufamet) (1929) (Germany) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Tadcaster Studios  original music recorded and mixed at
• Tadcaster Studios  sound post-production

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:78 min | 77 min (TCM print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Cosmopolitan Productions

Trivia:

The original Broadway production of "The Patsy" by Barry Conners opened on December 22, 1925 at the Booth Theater and ran for 245 performances.

Quotes:

Patricia Harrington:When in Baghdad, do as Baghdaddies do!

Movie Connections:

References The Spanish Dancer (1923)

Wonderful

A hillarious movie from director King Vidor, with Marion Davies AND Marie Dresler! As the perpetually feuding mother and daughter, Dresler and Davies are not only side-splittingly funny, they are actually quite touching. The rest of the film delivers on all these levels as well.

If anybody believes that Susan Alexander Kane was an actual representation of Marion Davies, they aught to watch this film. Marion is a delight to watch, always full of warmth and energy, always beautiful and charming, and constantly surprising. Take for instance a scene in which she spies on her sister and the sister's boyfriend. Marion, or Pat rather, walks back and forth through the doorway, changing hats and characters, stopping at one point to remark "When in Bagdad, do as the Bagdaddies do!" Or there's the scene where she barges into an intended conquest's house and finds him in a state of drunken delirium. In an (unsuccessful) attempt to rouse him (or at least his attention), she goes about the room impersonating a series of popular film stars. First she's Mae Murray, then Lillian Gish, then Pola Negri. Gloria Swanson's Chaplin imitation is no match for the brilliance of this scene.

Viewed with a modern audience, this film transcends the generations. Though so much has changed in the many years since it's conception, so much is still the same. The Patsy is one of the greatest silent comedies, and one of the best comedies to boot, and one of the best silents, that I think I have ever seen.