Big Brother (1923 film)

Big Brother is a 1923 American silent drama film directed by Allan Dwan and written by Rex Beach and Paul Sloane. The film stars Tom Moore, Edith Roberts, Raymond Hatton, Joe King, Mickey Bennett, Charles Henderson, and Paul Panzer. The film was released on December 23, 1923, by Paramount Pictures.^[1][2][3]

Big Brother
Film poster
Directed by	Allan Dwan
Screenplay by	Rex Beach Paul Sloane
Produced by	Jesse L. Lasky Adolph Zukor
Starring	Tom Moore Edith Roberts Raymond Hatton Joe King Mickey Bennett Charles Henderson Paul Panzer
Production company	Famous Players–Lasky Corporation
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	December 23, 1923 (1923-12-23)
Running time	70 minutes
Country	United States
Language	Silent (English intertitles)

Big Brother was shot at the Astoria Studios with extensive location shooting around New York City. Noted at the time for its realism, it is now considered a lost film.^[4] It was remade as a sound film in 1931 as Young Donovan's Kid.

Plot

As described in a film magazine review,^[5] Jimmy Donovan, gang leader in the East Side of New York City, protects Midge Murray when the latter's brother is slain. Jim decides that he must reform and bring up Midge decently. However, a court takes possession of Midge away from him. Jim, disgusted, plans a raid but then abandons the idea. His gang commits a robbery, and Jim and his girlfriend Kitty are accused of it. Jim escapes, recovers the loot and custody of Midge, and wins back the affection of Kitty.

Cast

• Tom Moore as Jimmy Donovan
• Edith Roberts as Kitty Costello
• Raymond Hatton as Cokey Joe Miller
• Joe King as Big Ben Murray
• Mickey Bennett as Midge Murray
• Charles Henderson as 'Father Dan' Marron
• Paul Panzer as Mike Navarro
• Neill Kelley as Monk Manelli
• William Black as Loman Duryea
• Martin Faust as Spike Doyle
• Milton Herman as Izzy
• Florence Ashbrooke as Mrs. Sheean
• Yvonne Hughes as Navarro's Girl
• Charles Hammond as Judge
• Jack Oakie (uncredited)

Preservation

With no prints of Big Brother located in any film archives,^[6] it is a lost film.

References

1. Janiss Garza (2015). "Big-Brother - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes - NYTimes.com". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on February 3, 2015. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
2. "Big Brother". afi.com. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
3. Progressive Silent Film List: Big Brother at silentera.com
4. Lombardi p. 133
5. Pardy, George T. (January 5, 1924). "Box Office Reviews: Big Brother". Exhibitors Trade Review. 15 (6). New York: Exhibitors Review Publishing Corporation: 22. Retrieved May 25, 2022. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
6. The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: Big Brother

Bibliography

• Lombardi, Frederic (2013). Allan Dwan and the Rise and Decline of the Hollywood Studios. McFarland & Company . ISBN 978-0-7864-3485-5

External links

• Big Brother at IMDb
• Lantern slide and window card