Jack Straw on AllMovie

This light comedy was based on the play by W. Somerset Maugham. While Maugham's witty dialogue is sorely missed, the silent still shows the fine directorial hand of William C. De Mille, elder brother of Cecil B. De Mille. Iceman Jack Straw (Robert Warwick) falls in love with Ethel Parker Jennings (Carroll McComas), the daughter of a clerk (Charles Ogle). Because of an oil investment in California, the family suddenly becomes wealthy and they head out West. Along with being nouveau riche, Mrs. Jennings (Sylvia Ashton) is also a nouveau snob; she rents an estate from Mrs. Wanley (Helene Sullivan) and then refuses to associate with her. Mrs. Wanley and her friend, Holland (J. M. Dumont), plot revenge. Straw has followed Ethel out West and gotten work as a waiter. Holland approaches him and asks him to pose as a nobleman as a hoax. He agrees and enters the Jennings' household as the Archduke of Pomerania. He and Ethel are given free reign to develop their romance before Mrs. Jennings discovers that he is merely Jack Straw. Straw is tossed out of the house, but it turns out that he really is the Archduke of Pomerania, who has been exiled because of his democratic ideals. Mrs. Jennings welcomes him back and is thrilled to announce his engagement to Ethel.