The Slave (1917 comedy film)

The Slave
Film still
Directed by	Arvid E. Gillstrom
Written by	Rex Taylor (scenario)
Produced by	Louis Burstein
Starring	Billy West Oliver Hardy
Distributed by	King Bee Studios
Release date	December 15, 1917 (1917-12-15)
Running time	2 reels
Country	United States
Language	Silent[1]

The Slave is a 1917 American silent comedy film starring Billy West and featuring Oliver Hardy. It was unusual for a silent film in that, because it told its story so plainly, subtitles or intertitles were not considered necessary.[1] It is not known whether the film currently survives.[2]

Plot summary

Cast

• Billy West as Billy, the slave
• Oliver Hardy as The Sultan of Bacteria
• Leo White as The Vizier
• Bud Ross as Haratius Crabbe, the collector (credited as Budd Ross)
• Leatrice Joy as Susie, his daughter
• Gladys Varden as The Sultan's favorite
• Ethel Cassity
• Ellen Burford
• Martha Dean
• Ethelyn Gibson
• Joe Bordeaux

Reception

Like many American films of the time, The Slave was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. For example, the Chicago Board of Censors required, in Reel 1, cuts of the entire incident of man throwing a lobster on a woman's back and all scenes of it on her back, the sultan poking man in back with dagger, and in Reel 2 the last two scenes of pulling the man through window where his trousers come off.[3]

See also

• List of American films of 1917
• Oliver Hardy filmography

References

1. "Comedy Sans Subtitles". Exhibitors Herald. 6 (3). New York: Exhibitors Herald Company: 22. January 12, 1918.
2. Progressive Silent Film List: The Slave at silentera.com
3. "Official Cut-Outs by the Chicago Board of Censors". Exhibitors Herald. 6 (5): 33. January 26, 1918.

External links

• The Slave at IMDb