The adventures of Old Bill and his friends Bert and Alf in the trenches of the first World War.The adventures of Old Bill and his friends Bert and Alf in the trenches of the first World War.The adventures of Old Bill and his friends Bert and Alf in the trenches of the first World War.
Edgar Kennedy
- Cpl. Austin
- (as Ed. Kennedy)
Charles K. Gerrard
- Maj. Russett
- (as Charles Gerrard)
Arthur Clayton
- The Colonel
- (uncredited)
Doris Hill
- Waitress
- (uncredited)
Olaf Hytten
- German Officer
- (uncredited)
Tom Kennedy
- The Blacksmith
- (uncredited)
Theodore Lorch
- Gaspard
- (uncredited)
Hank Mann
- German Soldier Tying Up Horse
- (uncredited)
Tom McGuire
- English General
- (uncredited)
Kewpie Morgan
- Gen. Stein
- (uncredited)
Al Thompson
- The Daughter in the Skit
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe film and the earlier musical comedies are based on a popular cartoon character Old Bill, an Cockney-born British infantryman, drawn by Bruce Bairnsfather.
- Quotes
Alfie 'Little Alf': Let's get out of this damn 'ole!
Pvt. William 'Old Bill' Busby: If you knows of a better 'ole - go for it.
- Crazy creditsSyd Chaplin was credited above the title and his full character name was supplied in an inter-title.
- Alternate versionsThe print of the film in the Turner library, and released on DVD through Warner Archive includes the original 1926 Vitaphone music score, with some sound effects and singing. At one point, Harold Goodwin whispers a word to Sydney Chaplin which is also faintly heard.
- ConnectionsVersion of Carry On (1919)
Featured review
Fun in France
Syd Chaplin is Bruce Bairnsfather's cartoon creation to the life in this, the second screen adaptation of the play he wrote with Arthur Elliot in 1917. Aged only 41, Charlie Chaplin's elder brother Syd looks twenty years older as the laconic army veteran who even for a silent film says very little. Although frequently called upon to show great athletic prowess (it comes as no surprise when he turns out to be able to pick up a piano in one hand), Chaplin remains for the most part quietly inscrutable behind that enormous moustache that makes it difficult to see where his mouth is, but for the pipe usually sticking out of it.
Although there is quite a lot of plot, the film for the most part comprises a series of comic episodes, some of them quite surreal, such as the lengthy sequence in which Bill and little Alphie get drunk while careering around terrorising Germans dressed as a pantomime horse... No, really! (Contrary to the late F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre's earlier declaration, by the way, the Kennedy brothers do share the screen together in a play staged for the troops: Tom as a blacksmith shielding his daughter from a nasty Hun played by Edgar). Great fun, handsomely produced.
Although there is quite a lot of plot, the film for the most part comprises a series of comic episodes, some of them quite surreal, such as the lengthy sequence in which Bill and little Alphie get drunk while careering around terrorising Germans dressed as a pantomime horse... No, really! (Contrary to the late F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre's earlier declaration, by the way, the Kennedy brothers do share the screen together in a play staged for the troops: Tom as a blacksmith shielding his daughter from a nasty Hun played by Edgar). Great fun, handsomely produced.
helpful•10
- richardchatten
- Oct 23, 2016
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $449,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 35 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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