Barnes-storming
Annie Van Auken | Planet Earth | 12/22/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Johnny Hines, the star of BURN 'EM UP BARNES, made a series of now mostly-lost Mastodon Films silent shorts as a character named Torchy. "Barnes" was his first feature. After appearing in 77 photoplays between 1916 and '28, Johnny's career faltered in the sound era.
Hines co-directed here along with actor George Beranger (he appeared in many of D.W. Griffith's greatest works).
This box office hit is the story of a speed demon. Young Mr. Barnes likes to drive fast both on and off the track. An argument with his industrialist father causes "Burn 'Em Up" to leave home. A gang of marauders steal his money and clothes and toss the unconscious youth into a freight car, where he meets two hobos who "adopt" him. The three end up in a small town and Barnes falls in love with the pretty daughter of a local bank president. His further adventures include being wrongly accused of a crime and entering an auto race with a lucrative prize for the winner.
This dvd's manufacturer, JEF FILMS is also known as TELEVISTA.
THE MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY (1917) is another of their silent movie rarities.
Parenthetical number preceding title is a 1 to 10 viewer poll rating found at a film resource website.
(7.3) Burn 'Em Up Barnes (1921) - Johnny Hines/Edmund Breese/George Fawcett/Betty Carpenter/J. Barney Sherry/Mathew Betz/Richard Thorpe/Julia Swayne Gordon/Billy Leeds/Harry Fraser/Billy Boy Swinton
CAST TRIVIA--
EDMUND BREESE (King Cole) played Zander in the Marx. Bros. comedy, DUCK SOUP (1933).
Stage actor GEORGE FAWCETT (Flannel) was equally as popular as the Barrymores.
J. BARNEY SHERRY (Whitney Barnes) appeared in THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES in 1905! His film career ended with the silent era's demise.
HARRY FRASER used 19 professional aliases including Monro Talbot, Victor Von Resarf, Wayne Carter and Edward Weston.
RICHARD THORPE (Stephen Thompson) was a well-liked MGM director with a remarkable resume."