See America Thirst
See America Thirst is a 1930 American comedy film produced and distributed by Universal Pictures and directed by William James Craft. Silent comics Harry Langdon and Slim Summerville star along with silent actress Bessie Love. Though released late in 1930, it nevertheless had a silent version.[2][3]
| See America Thirst | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | William James Craft |
| Produced by | Carl Laemmle |
| Written by | Jerry Horwin Edward Ludwig Vin Moore |
| Starring | Harry Langdon Slim Summerville Bessie Love |
| Music by | Sam Perry (silent version) Heinz Roemheld (silent version) |
| Cinematography | Arthur C. Miller |
| Edited by | Harry W. Lieb |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 75 minutes; 8 reels[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
In the film, Bessie Love introduced the type of sandals later known as "flip-flops" to American audiences. The title is a parody of the Cole Porter musical See America First.
Plot
Slim (Summerville) and Wally (Langdon) are mistaken for hired killers, and are paid to murder a bootlegger. They encounter nightclub singer Ellen (Love), associated with the district attorney's office, who assists them in convincing the gang leader to pay them double for protection. Everything goes well until the actual hired killers show up.[2][4][5][6]
Cast
- Harry Langdon as Wally
- Slim Summerville as Slim
- Bessie Love as Ellen
- Mitchell Lewis as Screwy O'Toole
- Matthew Betz as Insect McGann
- Stanley Fields as Spumoni
- Lloyd Whitlock as O'Toole's Henchman
- Richard Alexander as McGann's Henchman
- Tom Kennedy as Shivering Smith
- Lew Hearn as Inventor
- Leroy Mason as Attorney
- Walter Brennan as Spumoni Bodyguard (uncredited)
- Franklyn Farnum as Master of Ceremonies (uncredited)
- Pat Harmon as Waiter (uncredited)
- Tom London as Spumoni Hood (uncredited)
- Robert McKenzie as Waiter, Sign changer (uncredited)
- Hal Price as Cop (uncredited)
Reception
The film did not receive positive reviews, and was deemed not to be funny.[4]
Preservation status
Copies are preserved at the UCLA Film and Television Archive and the Library of Congress.[7][8]
References
- Schelly, William (January 10, 2014). Harry Langdon: His Life and Films. McFarland. p. 193. ISBN 978-0-7864-5185-2.
- 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. 694. OCLC 664500075.
- "The AFI Catalog of Feature Films 1893–1993: See America Thirst".
- Motion Picture Reviews. Los Angeles, CA: Women's University Club. 1930. p. 7.
- Hacker, Tom (October 25, 1930). "New Product". Exhibitors Herald World. p. 43.
- Catalog of 16 mm Silent Motion Picture Film Library. New York: Mogull's Camera and Film Exchange. 1940. p. 14.
- "See America thirst / Universal Pictures ; presented by Carl Laemmle ; director, William James Craft ; screenplay-dialogue, Henry Le Cossitt ; adaptation, C. Jerome Horwin ; story, Vin Moore, Edward Luddy". UCLA Library: Film & Television Archive.
- The American Film Institute (1978). Catalog of Holdings: The American Film Institute Collection and The United Artists Collection at The Library of Congress. Washington. p. 162. OCLC 5102838.
