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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 1008

The Saphead

Synopsis

Bertie pretends to be a reckless man of the world because he thinks it will impress the woman he loves. Instead, he loses his father's approval and takes the blame for a relative's scandal. When the family fortune is endangered on the stock exchange, the apparently useless son finds himself unexpectedly able to help.

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Video edition
Wikimedia Commons
Original language
No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: not identified.
This copy runs
76:55
Subtitles
No subtitle track in this language

No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: not identified. No subtitle track in this language.

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · Metro Pictures · Public domain

Cast

Historical context

This feature gave Buster Keaton a major leading role outside the short comedies associated with his early career. Douglas Fairbanks, who had played the part on stage, recommended him for the screen adaptation.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 15, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

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