Brown of Harvard (1926)

Brown of Harvard is a 1926 American silent film directed by Jack Conway and starring William Haines, Jack Pickford, and Mary Brian. Released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the film is based on the successful 1906 Broadway play Brown of Harvard by Rida Johnson Young who also co-wrote the popular music for the play along with Melvin Ellis. The film is the best known of the three Brown of Harvard films, presenting the screen debut of John Wayne. Uncredited, Wayne played a Yale football player. Grady Sutton and Robert Livingston, both of whom went on to long and successful careers, also appear uncredited. The 1918 film included future Boston Redskins coach William "Lone Star" Dietz and the only Washington State University football team to win a Rose Bowl.

Synopsis

Harvard University student Tom Brown (William Haines) is a handsome, athletic, and carefree young man who has a reputation as a Don Juan among the ladies. Although he is popular on campus, he finds himself at odds with Bob McAndrew (Ralph Bushman), a studious, reserved boy who becomes his chief rival for the affections of beautiful Mary Abbott (Mary Brian), a professor's daughter. Tom rooms with Jim Doolittle (Jack Pickford), an awkward weakling but goodhearted backwoods youth who idolizes him. The brash and cocky Brown easily wins over his dormitory mates, but refuses to let them ostracize Jim.

Actors