Merton of the Movies is a 1919

1919 in literature

The year 1919 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Winifred Holtby and Vera Brittain return to Somerville College, Oxford, to complete their education following war service.*Two paintings by E. E...

 book written by Harry Leon Wilson

Harry Leon Wilson

Harry Leon Wilson was an American novelist and dramatist best known for his novels, Ruggles of Red Gap and Merton of the Movies. His novel, Bunker Bean helped popularize the term flapper.-Biography:...

. In 1922, it was adapted into a Broadway

Broadway theatre

Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...

 play by George S. Kaufman

George S. Kaufman

George Simon Kaufman was an American playwright, theatre director and producer, humorist, and drama critic. In addition to comedies and political satire, he wrote several musicals, notably for the Marx Brothers...

 and Marc Connelly

Marc Connelly

Marcus Cook Connelly was an American playwright, director, producer, performer, and lyricist. He was a key member of the Algonquin Round Table, and received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1930.-Biography:...

. A 1924 silent movie version was directed by James Cruze

James Cruze

James Cruze was a silent film actor and film director.-Life:Cruze was born as Jens Vera Cruz Bosen. The Vera Cruz middle name came from the battle of Vera Cruz. He was raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but did not practice the religion after his teenage years...

 and starred Glenn Hunter

Glenn Hunter (actor)

Glenn Hunter was a stage and silent film actor who gained popularity in the 1920s on the Broadway stage....

 who had created the role on Broadway. A 1932 movie version titled Make Me a Star starred Stuart Erwin

Stuart Erwin

Stuart Erwin was an American actor. Erwin began acting in college in the 1920s, first appearing on the stage, then breaking into films in 1928 in Mother Knows Best...

, and a 1947 movie version starred Red Skelton

Red Skelton

Richard Bernard "Red" Skelton was an American comedian who is best known as a top radio and television star from 1937 to 1971. Skelton's show business career began in his teens as a circus clown and went on to vaudeville, Broadway, films, radio, TV, night clubs and casinos, all while pursuing...

.

The plot centers around an aspiring movie actor named Merton. Merton is a terrible actor and when the movie executives see how funny that Merton's over-acting is, they cast him in a comedy, but tell him that he's acting in a drama.

Cast(1924 film)

• Glenn Hunter
  Glenn Hunter (actor)
  Glenn Hunter was a stage and silent film actor who gained popularity in the 1920s on the Broadway stage....
  
   - Merton Gill
• Charles Sellon
  Charles Sellon
  Charles Sellon was an American stage and film actor. He appeared in 108 films and stage acts between 1901 and 1935. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts and died in La Crescenta, California. His grave is located in Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery.-Selected filmography:-External links:...
  
   - Pete Gashwiler
• Sadie Gordon - Mrs. Gaswiler
• Gale Henry
  Gale Henry
  Gale Henry was an American film actress. A prominent comedienne, she appeared in 238 films between 1914 and 1933....
  
   - Tessie Kearns
• Luke Cosgrove - Lowell Hardy
• Viola Dana
  Viola Dana
  Viola Dana was an American film actress who was successful during the era of silent movies.- Career :Born Virginia Flugrath, Dana was a child star, appearing on the stage at the age of three. She read Shakespeare and particularly identified with the teenage Juliet. She enjoyed a long run at the...
  
   - Sally Montague or 'Flips'
• DeWitt Jennings
  DeWitt Jennings
  DeWitt Clarke Jennings was an American film actor. He appeared in 153 films between 1915 and 1937.-Biography:...
  
   - Jeff Baird
• Elliott Rothe - Harold Parmalee
• Charles Ogle
  Charles Ogle
  Charles Ogle may refer to:*Charles Ogle , US Congressman*Charles Ogle , British Admiral*Charles Stanton Ogle , American silent film actor*Charles Chaloner Ogle , British journalist...
  
   - Mr. Montague
• Ethel Wales
  Ethel Wales
  Ethel Wales was a Passaic, New Jersey-born American actress, who appeared in 130 films between the years 1920 and 1950. She had one son named Wellington Charles Wales.- Selected filmography :* Miss Lulu Bett * Manslaughter...
  
   - Mrs. Montague
• Frank Jonasson
  Frank Jonasson
  Frank Jonasson was an American film actor of the silent era. He appeared in 75 films between 1914 and 1930.He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and died in Rancho Los Amigos, California.-Selected filmography:...
  
   - Henshaw
• Eleanor Lawson - Mrs. Patterson

External links

• The Internet Archive holds a November 17, 1941 radio adaptation of the book, play, and films starring Mickey Rooney
  Mickey Rooney
  Mickey Rooney is an American film actor and entertainer whose film, television, and stage appearances span nearly his entire lifetime. He has won multiple awards, including an Honorary Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award...
  
   and Judy Garland
  Judy Garland
  Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
  
   originally broadcast by Lux Radio Theater
  Lux Radio Theater
  Lux Radio Theater, a long-run classic radio anthology series, was broadcast on the NBC Blue Network ; CBS and NBC . Initially, the series adapted Broadway plays during its first two seasons before it began adapting films. These hour-long radio programs were performed live before studio audiences...
  
  .
• The Internet Archive holds a June 20, 1949 radio adaptation of the film originally broadcast by Lux Radio Theater.
• 4 short radio episodes from the play Merton of the Movies at California Legacy Project
  California Legacy Project
  The California Legacy Project began in 2000 as a project at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, CA and later partnered with Heyday Books in Berkeley, CA. The project uses a research team of SCU interns to create radio scripts for the radio anthology "Your California Legacy" on KAZU 90.3 FM,...
  
  .
• Unabridged audiobook at LibriVox
  LibriVox
  LibriVox is an online digital library of free public domain audiobooks, read by volunteers and is probably, since 2007, the world's most prolific audiobook publisher...