In His Double Life, A celebrated painter with anxiety issues finds that his valet has suddenly passed away after an illness. Seeking to insulate himself from the public, he tells a visiting physician that he is the valet instead of himself. The doctor pronounces the artist dead, and in the eyes of he world, he is gone. He then takes on the identity of his former servant to begin a new life.
His Double Life (1928) starring Roland Young, Lillian Gish
His Double Life is a funny, and sweet, movie about mistaken identity. A brilliant painter, but painfully shy, keeps going from place to place to avoid social interaction. His only companion over the years is his valet, Henry Leek. And Leet convinces him to move back to his old home, since nobody will recognize him after all these years. Which goes perfectly fine until …
The valet unexpectedly dies! And the corpse is mistaken for the famous painter! And Priam tries to get people to believe his identity …. But nobody listens. And then, he’s contacted by the lovely woman that the valet was corresponding with — object matrimony!
She’s not only lovely, she’s kind, loving, and supportive as well. One of my favorite parts of the film is when she lovingly tells him that she doesn’t care if his name is Henry, or Priam, or something else. There is a conflict that needs to be resolved, however. Apparently, the late valet was already married! And, Priam’s been painting new masterpieces, and the buyer’s being threatened with a lawsuit for selling frauds …. Since everyone knows Priam Farrell’s dead.
The resolution is fine and sweet, and the loving couple leave for some distant place. And Priam plans to assume a new identity!
Product Description
World-famous artist Priam Farrell (Roland Young) is a dead ringer for his devoted valet, Henry Leek. When Leek suddenly takes ill and dies, a mix-up leads to Farrell being mistaken for his departed servant. Failing to convince anyone of his true identity, Farrell resigns himself to the loss of his former life, until he’s spotted in a hotel by lovely Alice Hunter (Lillian Gish). Despite his denials, Alice is sure that he is Henry Leek, the man she had been romantically corresponding with through a matrimonial bureau. Unable to dissuade her, Farrell falls for the charming woman and settles into a happy new life with her under his assumed name. When Leek’s widow and surviving children suddenly show up, Farrell must put all his creative energy into reclaiming his old identity while still holding onto the best parts of the new one.
Director Arthur Hopkins was fortunate to have the brilliant actress, Lillian Gish, playing the romantic lead. Gish, best known for her work with D.W. Griffith, was the only actor from the early days of silent cinema to receive the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Roland Young, another actor of the silent era, made his screen debut in 1922, playing Doctor Watson opposite John Barrymore in Sherlock Holmes. He is best remembered for the title role in the 1937 comedy film, Topper, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Cast of characters
- Roland Young (The Young in Heart; Topper) … Priam Farrel
- Lillian Gish (The Whales of August; Faust) … Alice Chalice
- Montagu Love (The Mysterious Island 1929) … Duncan Farrel
- Lumsden Hare (She) … Oxford
- Lucy Beaumont (The Devil-Doll) … Mrs. Leek
- Charles Richman … Witt
- Oliver Smith … Leek Twin – John
- Philip Tonge (Witness for the Prosecution) … Leek Twin – Henry
- Audrey Ridgewell … Lady Helen
- Regina DeValet … Mary
Additional cast
- Charles Halton (Room Service) … Newsman on Phone (uncredited)
- Roland Hogue … Henry Leek (uncredited)
Trivia
- Later remade as “Holy Matrimony” with Monty Wooly & Gracie Fields