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Beverly of Graustark

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Beverly of Graustark
Lobby card
Directed bySidney Franklin
Written byAgnes Christine Johnston (scenario)
Joseph W. Farnham (titles)
Based onBeverly of Graustark
1904 novel
by George Barr McCutcheon
StarringMarion Davies
Antonio Moreno
Creighton Hale
CinematographyPercy Hilburn (*French)
Edited byFrank E. Hull
Distributed byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • April 19, 1926 (1926-04-19) (U.S.)
Running time
70 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)
Budget$399,000[1]
Beverly of Graustark (1926) by Sidney Franklin

Beverly of Graustark is a 1926 American silent romantic comedy film directed by Sidney Franklin and starring Marion Davies, Antonio Moreno, and Creighton Hale. The film's screenplay was written by Agnes Christine Johnston based on the novel by George Barr McCutcheon, and set in the fictional land of Graustark. The film features a final sequence in Technicolor. It was the first film by Sidney Franklin for MGM.[2][3]

The story was filmed before in 1914 by the Biograph Company.

Copies of the film are held at Turner Broadcasting and the Library of Congress.[4] Click on the Library of Congress external link below to watch the 1914 version of the film.

Plot

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Beverly Calhoun impersonates the Prince of Graustark to claim his birthright while he recovers from a skiing injury. In the meantime, she falls for her bodyguard Dantan.

Cast

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Production

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In her 22nd film, Marion Davies starred in yet another dual role as the American Beverly Calhoun who masquerades as her cousin Oscar, who happens to be the Prince of Graustark, a small European monarchy. This was the second time that Davies masqueraded as a male (see Little Old New York), and critics and audiences applauded the effort. The film is often cited as Davies' most profitable film because of low production costs and big box office. The only problem in filming was Davies' 10-day bout with the flu. This was her first teaming with Antonio Moreno, who played the royal bodyguard. The film boasted a 2-strip Technicolor finale (which survives). Davies' severe haircut, dubbed the "Beverly Bob," caused a fashion craze.[5]

Restoration

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The Library of Congress restored the 1926 film in 2019, scanning an original-release 35mm nitrate print in the Marion Davies Collection that included the 2-color Technicolor sequence in the 2nd half of the film's last reel. This 4K restoration was screened in October 2019 at the Pordenone Silent Film Festival. Undercrank Productions released the restoration on Blu-ray and DVD in April 2022, featuring a new musical score by Ben Model.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Slide, Anthony. Silent Topics: Essays on Undocumented Areas of Silent Film. Scarecrow Press. p 26
  2. ^ "Beverly of Graustark at". Silentera.com. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  3. ^ The American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films: 1921-30 by The American Film Institute, c.1971
  4. ^ Catalog of Holdings at The American Film Institute Collection and The United Artist Collections at The Library of Congress by The American Film Institute, c. 1978
  5. ^ Lorusso, Edward (2017) The Silent Films of Marion Davies, CreateSpace, pp. 119-120.
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