McFadden's Flats

McFadden's Flats is a 1927 silent film based on an 1896 play.[3][4][5]

McFadden's Flats
Film poster
Directed byRichard Wallace
Produced byEdward Small
Based onplay McFadden's Row of Flats by Gus Hill
StarringCharlie Murray
Chester Conklin
CinematographyArthur Edeson
Production
company
Asher Small & Rogers[1]
Distributed byFirst National
Release date
1927
Running time
80 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent
Box officeover $1 million[2]

Production

McFadden's Flats has held a unique place in the hearts of theatregoers for more than thirty years", said Small in 1926. "But even this story requires changes and elaboration before it can be placed before screen audiences. This is partly due to the fact that the camera permits a visualisation of situations that could only be suggested on the stage."[6]

In addition the villainy present in the original play was downplayed. Small:

The substitution of many laughs must have made up for the lack of villainy. Newer productions are proving that audiences the world over want to laugh, and that they don't mind if the usual rules of production are overlooked in the finding of those laughs. Successful entertainment of the future will run more and more to humour than sobs, and money will be emended for ideas rather than lavish settings.[7]

Grant Clarke and Jack Wagner wrote three new comedy sequences for the movie which saw its shooting schedule extended from ten days to two weeks.[8]

Release

The film was very popular.[9]

See also

References
  1. Loew's Los Angeles Times 05 Nov 1926: A11.
  2. "Actor Life Reads Like Alger Tale: Deno, Featured Dancer at Hillstreet, Italian Immigrant Years Ago" Los Angeles Times 11 Mar 1928: C28.
  3. McFadden's Flats at TCMDB
  4. "'McFadden's Flats' Filmed" The Christian Science Monitor [Boston, Mass] 8 Feb 1927: 8.
  5. "THEY'RE FRIENDLY ENEMIES: McFadden and McTavish Find Plenty to Quarrel About in 'McFadden's Flats'" Lipke, Katherine. Los Angeles Times 20 Mar 1927: C21.
  6. "AMERICAN AUDIENCES REVISE IDEA OF VIRTUE AND COMEDY", Los Angeles Times 14 Nov 1926: C23
  7. "NEW PICTURES". The Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 6 July 1927. p. 11. Retrieved 18 December 2013.
  8. "HONORS AT SHOW GO TO OLD-TIMERS: 'Four Jolly Thesplans' With White Hair Popular at Pantages" Los Angeles Times 23 Nov 1926: A11.
  9. "WHILE THE Films REEL BY" Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 11 Jan 1942: C3.


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