Too Much Johnson (1919 film)

Too Much Johnson
Trade advertisement
Directed by	Donald Crisp
Produced by	Adolph Zukor Jesse Lasky
Written by	Thomas J. Geraghty (scenario)
Based on	Too Much Johnson by William Gillette
Starring	Bryant Washburn Lois Wilson
Cinematography	Charles Schoenbaum
Edited by	Nan Heron Dorothy Arzner
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures - Artcraft
Release dates	December 1919 (1919-12)
Running time	5 reels
Country	United States
Language	Silent (English intertitles)

Too Much Johnson is a lost^[1] 1919 American silent comedy film produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Donald Crisp during his phase as an important film director. This film stars in the leads Bryant Washburn and Lois Wilson.^[2][3]

This film is based on William Gillette's 1894 play Too Much Johnson and is the second film attempt at the play, the first having been a short in 1900.^[4] Famously, Orson Welles made a short and unfinished amateur version of the play and he may have not known of this feature silent from 1919.

Plot

As described in a film magazine,^[5] Augustus Billings (Washburn), who is in deadly fear of his mother-in-law Mrs. Batterson (Farrington), risks fate by taking a yacht trip with his friend Billy Lounsberry (Blue), who owns some oil wells in Mexico. Augustus' aliby to his wive (Wilson) is that he has purchased an interest in the oil wells and was called there to look after them. The yacht is owned by a romantic married woman whom Augustus is introduced to as "Johnson." Boat owner Mrs. Dathis (Lorimer) carries on a flirtation with "Johnson" and invites him on another cruise. The second cruise is interrupted when the jealous Leon Dathis (Banks) finding out and starting a search for "Johnson." Mrs. Billings and her mother determine to accompany Augustus to Mexico on his second trip. Caught, Augustus books passage on a steamer to Mexico and takes his wife and mother-in-law along. On the same boat goes the jealous Mr. Dathis. Meanwhile, Billy Lounsberry sells his oil wells to a Mr. Johnson (Geldart) and departs Mexico. Meanwhile, also on the steamer is a young woman Leonora (Hope) who is to marry this Mr. Johnson through a mail arrangement along with her father (Gastrock) and disappointed sweetheart Henry (Hackathorn). This leads to several difficulties, which are resolved, when the seven reach the Johnson oil wells. Augustus frees himself from his mother-in-law by marrying her off to the owner of the oil wells, Mr. Johnson.

Cast

• Bryant Washburn as Augustus Billings
• Lois Wilson as Mrs. Billings
• Adele Farrington as Mrs. Batterson
• Clarence Geldart as Joseph Johnson (credited as Charles H. Geldart)
• Monte Blue as Billy Lounsberry
• Monty Banks as Leon Dathis
• Elsie Lorimer as Mrs. Dathis
• Gloria Hope as Leonora Faddish
• George Hackathorn as Henry McIntosh
• Phil Gastrock as Francis Faddish

References

External links

• Too Much Johnson at the Internet Movie Database
• allmovie/Synopsis; Too Much Johnson
• Still photo during production (University of Washington, Sayre collection)
• Lobby poster (archived on worthpoint)