What's His Name (1914)
A charming 1914 Cecil B. DeMille comedy-drama about love, ambition, and the family bonds that endure when everything else falls apart.
What's His Name - Movie Information
- Release Year: 1914
- Directed by: Cecil B. DeMille
- Type: Movie
- Genres: Comedy, Drama
- Runtime: 1h 15m
- Original Language: English
- Spoken Languages: English, No Language
- Release Date (Theatrical): October 22, 1914 (United States)
- Production Companies: Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company
- Production Countries: United States of America
What's His Name - Plot
Soda jerk Harvey is the most popular man in Blakeville NY and deliriously happy through three years of poverty-stricken marriage to Nellie. After a musical comedy troupe comes through, Nellie becomes an actress. When she then falls for a millionaire and goes to Reno for a divorce, Harvey takes their child Phoebe home where her later illness brings her parents back together.
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What's His Name - Cast & Crew
Director(s)
- Cecil B. DeMille
Main Cast
- Max Figman
- Lolita Robertson
- Sydney Deane
- Richard L'Estrange
- Merta Carpenter
- Fred Montague
- Cecilia de Mille
- Theodore Roberts
Writers
- Cecil B. DeMille
Producers
- Cecil B. DeMille
What's His Name - FAQs
What is What's His Name about?
What's His Name follows Harvey, a beloved small-town soda jerk in Blakeville, NY, who enjoys a modest but joyful marriage. When his wife Nellie catches the acting bug and later falls for a wealthy man, she seeks a divorce — until their daughter Phoebe's illness draws the estranged couple back together.
Who directed What's His Name?
What's His Name was directed by Cecil B. DeMille, one of the founding figures of Hollywood cinema. Released in 1914, it stands among his earliest feature films, made under the Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company before he became synonymous with grand-scale epic productions.
Who are the main actors in What's His Name?
The film stars Max Figman as Harvey and Lolita Robertson as his wife Nellie. The supporting cast includes Sydney Deane, Richard L'Estrange, Merta Carpenter, Fred Montague, Cecilia de Mille as the child Phoebe, and Theodore Roberts.
When was What's His Name released?
What's His Name was released on October 22, 1914, in the United States. It was produced by the Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company and represents an important early chapter in Cecil B. DeMille's prolific directorial career during the formative years of American cinema.
Is What's His Name based on a true story?
No, What's His Name is not based on a true story. It is adapted from a 1914 novel of the same name by George Barr McCutcheon. Cecil B. DeMille wrote the screenplay himself, translating McCutcheon's domestic comedy-drama narrative to the screen in the same year the book was published.
What genre is What's His Name?
What's His Name is a comedy-drama. It blends lighthearted small-town humor with genuine emotional stakes, following a devoted husband navigating marital breakdown and single parenthood. The film reflects the early silent-era tendency to mix domestic comedy with melodramatic plot turns centered on family and loyalty.
How long is What's His Name?
What's His Name has a runtime of 75 minutes, making it a feature-length production by the standards of its era. In 1914, many films were still short subjects, so a 75-minute running time was notably ambitious and helped establish the feature film as a commercially viable format in Hollywood.
Is What's His Name considered an important early DeMille film?
Yes, What's His Name is regarded as a significant early work in Cecil B. DeMille's career. Released in 1914 — the same year he co-directed The Squaw Man, widely considered Hollywood's first feature film — it showcases his early interest in domestic drama and his growing command of feature-length storytelling.
More About What's His Name
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