Fine Feathers is a 1921 American silent melodrama directed by Fred Sittenham and starring Eugene Pallette, Claire Whitney, Thomas W. Ross, Warburton Gamble and June Elvidge. Produced and distributed by Metro Pictures, it was adapted by Lois Zellner from Eugene Walter's 1912 play Fine Feathers. It was the second screen adaptation of the play, following a 1915 film.
The film's official release date was June 20, 1921. Newspaper advertisements show that it had advance screenings at the Star Theatre in Monterey, California, on June 17 and the Rose Theatre in Santa Rosa, California, on June 18. Complete 35 mm preservation elements are held by the George Eastman Museum.
Plot
Construction engineer Bob Reynolds lives with his wife Jane in a modest bungalow on Staten Island. Frustrated by their limited income, Bob sympathizes with a dishonest character when the couple attends a performance of Walter's earlier play Paid in Full. Jane insists that financial hardship can never justify dishonesty.
John Brand, a wealthy former college acquaintance, offers Bob a large payment to approve inferior cement for a dam under construction. Bob initially resists but eventually accepts the bribe. Two years later, Bob and Jane are wealthy, but Brand induces Bob to invest in manipulated stocks, wiping out his fortune. Desperate, Bob forges a check in Brand's name.
Bob sends Jane to ask Brand for assistance. Brand agrees to help her, but news arrives that the dam has collapsed, killing hundreds of people. Bob suspects that Jane traded sexual favors for Brand's assistance. Although she denies it, the drunken Bob goes to Brand's home and shoots him. He then telephones the police to report the killing and takes his own life.
Cast Eugene Pallette as Bob Reynolds Claire Whitney as Jane Reynolds Thomas W. Ross as Dick Meade Warburton Gamble as John Brand June Elvidge as Mrs. Brand
Production
In July 1920, Metro selected Fred Sittenham to direct Fine Feathers after he completed work on Clothes. Frederick Truesdell was initially announced for the role of John Brand but was replaced by Warburton Gamble; Truesdell was reassigned to the supporting role of J. B. Hollis. Louise Huff was originally cast as Jane Reynolds, but illness forced her to withdraw. Claire Whitney replaced her in August 1920.
Principal photography took place from August through early October 1920. Interior scenes were filmed at Metro's studio on 61st Street in New York City, while exterior work included locations on Staten Island and at the Kensico Reservoir. Billie Burke's estate, Burkeley Crest, at Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, was used for exterior views of Brand's home.
One sequence required a theater crowd during a rainstorm. Metro received permission from New York's police and fire departments to film outside a Broadway theater before dawn, with trade reports announcing plans for 1,500 extras. Contemporary reports variously identified the location as the Comedy Theatre on 41st Street and a set representing the Belasco Theatre.
For the dam-collapse sequence, contemporary reports identified Metro art director M. P. Staulcup as the designer of a miniature dam built at the New York studio. The model was mounted over a drainage basin and broken apart with water supplied by two fire hoses. The AFI Catalog credits Lester J. Vermilyea as the film's art director.
Reception Contemporary reviews were generally unfavorable. Laurence Reid of Motion Picture News considered the premise overused and found the film slow and almost entirely lacking in suspense. Variety similarly criticized the lack of action and suggested that the print reviewed may have been shorter than the advertised six reels.
Wid's Daily found the production technically adequate but criticized its continuity, numerous intertitles and heavy subject matter. Its reviewer also found the miniature dam unconvincing. Exhibitors Herald described the production as inexpensive and dated, and likewise criticized the miniature used for the dam collapse.
References
External links
Fine Feathers at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films Fine Feathers in the Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Database