Timothy Shay Arthur

Ten Nights in a Bar-Room at the Movies

Although the most well known ﬁlm version of this book was produced in 1931, a number of silent movies preceded it. The screenplay of the movies mainly came from the adaptation of the book for the theatre by William W. Pratt.

1897
I have no information about this silent ﬁlm.

1901
Biograph produced a ﬁve part ﬁlm

1903
Siegmund Lubin production

1903
Another 1903 production was distributed and produced by the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company

1909
This version starred Thomas Ricketts. This adaptation is quite different from the book. Produced by the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company and released June 9, 1909.

1909
D. W. Grifﬁth produced a ﬁlm called “What Drink Did” The plot is similar to the "Ten Nights" story. It starred David Miles, Florence Lawrence, and Gladys Egan.

The father holds his dead daughter at the bar.

1910
A 1910 version (released on November 10, 1910) as produced for the Thanhouser Film Company. Frank Hall Crane played Joe Morgan. Marie Elaine was "Little Mary"

1911
This ﬁlm was released on June 12 and 13, 1911. The Chicago based Selig Polyscope Company produced this version of Ten Nights in a Bar Room. Joe Morgan was played by Charles Clary and Little Mary was Baby Remis. The director was Frank Boggs.

1913
In 1913 Lee Beggs produced this ﬁlm for the Photo Drama Co. Robert Vaughn starred as Joe Morgan and and Violet Horner was Mrs. Fannie Morgan.Robert Lawrence acted the part off Simon Slade.

1921
This December, 1921 version was written by L. Case Russell, directed by Oscar Apfel and starred John Lowell. Charles Mackay played Simon Slade. Little Mary Morgan was acted by Baby Ivy Ward while Fanny Morgan was Nell Clark Keller. The production company was A Blazed Trail Production. Adapted for the screen by Lillian Case Russell.

The movie can be viewed here: Ten Nights in a Bar Room (1921) DRAMA (.) - YouTube

Baby Ivy Ward, John Lowell and Nell Clark Keller

Here is advertising ﬂyer for this production:

1926
The 1926 production was produced by the Colored Players Film Corp. Roy Calnek directed this ﬁlm. Joe Morgan was played by Charles Gilpin. Simon Slade was Lawrence Chenault. The story differs from the book. This is a business relationship gone bad. Joe Morgan loses his property to Simon Slade and becomes a drunkard. The "bad guy" is not the bottle in this version but rather corruption.

Here is short clip from the movie.

Preview Clip: Ten Nights in a Barroom (1926, Lawrence Chenault) - YouTube

1931
On February 27, 1931 Ten Nights in a Bar Room opened. It was a 70 minute feature ﬁlm. Edwin Waugh did the adaptation. William Farnum played Joe Morgan while Simon Slade was portrayed by Tom Santschi. Norman S. parker did the adaptation. William O' Connor was the director. Roadshow Production Inc. was the production Company

Watch the movie here: Ten Nights in a Barroom--1931 Melodrama American Classic Full Length Movie Film Black and - YouTube

This was a popular movie as is evidenced by the amount of ephemera in the form of posters that can be found. Flyers, posters, broadsides, etc. have been seen.

I have seen two advertising booklets/ pamphlets that show many of the available posters, window cards, banners, etc.

This oversized (11.5” x 17.5”) 24 page booklet is the complete advertiser’s guide to this movie. There is information on how to get temperance groups involved in promotions. There are a number of pages of press reviewed. Ads for newspaper use cover several pages. Card board hangers and canopy decorations for lobby use are shown. A theatre owner could even order “Bally”- a costume that a person wears advertising the movie. Finally there are several pages of available posters placards, posters , etc.

Here is a set of nine Lobby Cards from the movie.

These four pages are from a ﬂyer used by theaters.

These pictures come another 4 page ﬂyer. It shows many of the advertising posters that were produced for this movie. Notice in this top sheet that examples of "window card "B" and "six sheet" are shown below. One Sheet A appears to be one of the most common posters found. There are several posters / cards below that are not in this ﬂyer.