# A Small Town Idol > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/A_Small_Town_Idol > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/A_Small_Town_Idol.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Small_Town_Idol > Source revision: 1339481868 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 1921 film A Small Town Idol Advertisement with Phyllis Haver, Dot Farley, and Ben Turpin Directed by Mack Sennett Erle C. Kenton Produced by Mack Sennett Cinematography Ernie Crocket Perry Evans J. R. Lockwood Edited by Allen McNeil Production company Associated Producers Distributed by Associated First National Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. (re-release) Release date February 13, 1921 (1921-02-13) Running time 70 minutes; 7 reels Country United States Language Silent (English intertitles) ***A Small Town Idol*** is a 1921 American [silent](/source/Silent_film) feature [comedy film](/source/Comedy_film) produced by [Mack Sennett](/source/Mack_Sennett) and released through [Associated First National](/source/First_National_Pictures). The film stars [Ben Turpin](/source/Ben_Turpin) and was made and acted by many of the same Sennett personnel from his previous year's *[Down on the Farm](/source/Down_on_the_Farm_(1920_film))*. Sennett and Erle C. Kenton directed.[1][2] The picture was Sennett's biggest undertaking to date, costing $350,000 and required over a year to make.[1] ## Plot Sam (Turpin) leaves town after being falsely accused of a crime and becomes a film star in Hollywood working with actress Marcelle Mansfield (Prevost). He returns to his home town hailed as a hero where one of his films is shown in the theater. His rival Jones (Finlayson), who wants Sam's girlfriend Mary (Haver), frames Sam for the shooting of Mary's father. Just as the townspeople are about to lynch Sam, Mary arrives to prove Sam's innocence and the two are reconciled. ## Cast - [Ben Turpin](/source/Ben_Turpin) as Sam Smith - [James Finlayson](/source/James_Finlayson_(actor)) as J. Wellington Jones - [Phyllis Haver](/source/Phyllis_Haver) as Mary Brown - [Bert Roach](/source/Bert_Roach) - Martin Brown - Al Cooke as Joe Barnum - [Charles Murray](/source/Charles_Murray_(American_actor)) as Sheriff Sparks (credited as Charlie Murray) - [Marie Prevost](/source/Marie_Prevost) as Marcelle Mansfield - [Dot Farley](/source/Dot_Farley) as Mrs. Smith - [Eddie Gribbon](/source/Eddie_Gribbon) as Bandit Chief - [Kalla Pasha](/source/Kalla_Pasha) as Bandie Chief's Rival - [Billy Bevan](/source/Billy_Bevan) as Director - [George O'Hara](/source/George_O'Hara_(actor)) as Cameraman - [John J. Richardson](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_J._Richardson&action=edit&redlink=1) as Screen Villain (credited as Jack Richardson) - [Louise Fazenda](/source/Louise_Fazenda) as Theatregoer - [Lige Conley](/source/Lige_Conley) as Minister (credited as Lige Crommie) Prevost and Turpin star in the western being shown in the town's theater *uncredited performers* - [Heinie Conklin](/source/Heinie_Conklin) as Jester in movie - [Ramon Novarro](/source/Ramon_Novarro) as Dancer (credited as Ramon Samaniegos) - Jane Allen as Minor Role - [Andy Clyde](/source/Andy_Clyde) as Minor Role - [Harry Gribbon](/source/Harry_Gribbon) as Minor Role - Floy Guinn as Minor Role - Mack L. Hamilton as Minor Role - [Harriet Hammond](/source/Harriet_Hammond) as Minor Role - [Mildred June](/source/Mildred_June) as Minor Role - Fanny Kelly as Minor Role - [Marvin Loback](/source/Marvin_Loback) as Minor Role - [Don Marion](/source/Don_Marion) as Minor Role - [Kewpie Morgan](/source/Kewpie_Morgan) as Minor Role - [Derelys Perdue](/source/Derelys_Perdue) as Dancer - Gladys Whitfield as Minor Role ## Notes - This was [Ramon Novarro](/source/Ramon_Novarro)'s seventh film, where he was billed as Ramon Samaniegos. - Copies of the film exist in archives, such as [Gosfilmofond](/source/Gosfilmofond). - In 1933 Mack Sennett cut the feature down to two reels, adding music, sound effects, narration, and a new title sequence with the credits printed in a book with portraits of the actors. [Warner Bros.](/source/Warner_Bros.) reissued the condensed Sennett version in 1939 as one of its "Broadway Brevities." The Telefeatures TV syndication firm reprinted it in 1960 as part of the "Nickelodeon Theatre" series, with new narration by [Jim Backus](/source/Jim_Backus).[3] ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-afi_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-afi_1-1) *The American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films: 1921-30* by The American Film Institute, c. 1971 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [*A Small Town Idol* at silentera.com](http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/S/SmallTownIdol1921.html) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** *Variety*, April 6, 1960, p. 33. ## External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to [A Small Town Idol](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:A_Small_Town_Idol). - [*A Small Town Idol*](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/12210) at the *[AFI Catalog of Feature Films](/source/AFI_Catalog_of_Feature_Films)* - [*A Small Town Idol*](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0012702/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier)) - [*A Small Town Idol* (1921) - abridged with narration](https://archive.org/details/ASmallTownIdol1921-AbridgedWithNarration) at [Internet Archive](/source/Internet_Archive) v t e Films directed by Erle C. Kenton Salome vs. Shenandoah (1919) Down on the Farm (1920) Love, Honor and Behave (1920) A Small Town Idol (1921) A Fool and His Money (1925) The Danger Signal (1925) Red Hot Tires (1925) The Love Toy (1926) Other Women's Husbands (1926) The Sap (1926) The Palm Beach Girl (1926) The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary (1927) The Girl in the Pullman (1927) Bare Knees (1928) Name the Woman (1928) Nothing to Wear (1928) Companionate Marriage (1928) Golf Widows (1928) The Street of Illusion (1928) The Sideshow (1928) The Sporting Age (1928) Trial Marriage (1929) Father and Son (1929) Song of Love (1929) Mexicali Rose (1929) A Royal Romance (1930) X Marks the Spot (1931) Left Over Ladies (1931) The Last Parade (1931) Guilty as Hell (1932) Island of Lost Souls (1932) From Hell to Heaven (1933) Disgraced! (1933) Big Executive (1933) Search for Beauty (1934) You're Telling Me! (1934) Party Wire (1935) The Best Man Wins (1935) The Public Menace (1935) Devil's Squadron (1936) Counterfeit (1936) She Asked for It (1937) The Devil's Playground (1937) Little Tough Guys in Society (1938) The Lady Objects (1938) Everything's on Ice (1939) Escape to Paradise (1939) Remedy for Riches (1940) Petticoat Politics (1941) Melody for Three (1941) Naval Academy (1941) They Meet Again (1941) Flying Cadets (1941) North to the Klondike (1942) The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942) Frisco Lil (1942) Pardon My Sarong (1942) Who Done It? (1942) It Ain't Hay (1943) House of Frankenstein (1944) She Gets Her Man (1945) House of Dracula (1945) The Cat Creeps (1946) Little Miss Big (1946) Bob and Sally (1948) One Too Many (1951) Secrets of Beauty (1951) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [A Small Town Idol](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Small_Town_Idol) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Small_Town_Idol?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.