| Pay as You Enter | |
|---|---|
 Movie poster | |
| Directed by | Lloyd Bacon |
| Written by | Joseph Jackson Fred Stanley Darryl F. Zanuck |
| Starring | Louise Fazenda Clyde Cook William Demarest |
| Cinematography | Norbert Brodine |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 55 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Languages | Sound (Synchronized) (English Intertitles) |
| Budget | $83,000[1] |
| Box office | $139,000[1] |
Pay as You Enter is a 1928 American synchronized sound comedy film directed by Lloyd Bacon and starring Louise Fazenda, Clyde Cook, and William Demarest.[2][3] While the film has no audible dialog, it was released with a synchronized musical score with sound effects using the sound-on-disc Vitaphone process.[4] The title refers to the fare collection system used on a streetcar.
Plot
[edit]Mary Smith (Louise Fazenda) is a cheerful waitress working in a bustling quick-lunch wagon. She harbors a secret love for “Terrible Bill” McGovern (William Demarest), the rough-and-tumble conductor, who, unfortunately for Mary, is busy courting the gold-digging Yvonne De Russo (Myrna Loy). Meanwhile, Clyde Jones (Clyde Cook), the shy motorman on the same streetcar, secretly adores Mary but lacks the courage to openly woo her.
After losing a fight and the favor of Yvonne, Terrible Bill faces another blow when one of Yvonne’s admirers, defeated by Bill, informs Mary that she has unexpectedly inherited a fortune. Though the fortune never appears, fate soon smiles on Mary when she is struck by a society woman’s car and awarded $1,000 in damages.
Seizing the opportunity to win Yvonne back, Bill pretends to court Mary, hoping to get hold of her money. He takes her to the carmen’s ball, where Clyde arrives with Yvonne in tow. Bill rudely shoves Clyde aside and plots with Yvonne to steal Mary’s settlement.
The night takes a wild turn when Bill elopes with Mary on a streetcar, but Clyde intervenes, engaging Bill in a fierce fight. The chaotic battle sends the streetcar careening out of control. Eventually, the car is brought to a stop, and Mary throws herself into Clyde’s arms, grateful after he miraculously defeats Terrible Bill. Thus ends the comical and heartfelt romance unfolding in the car barns.[5]
Cast
[edit]- Louise Fazenda as Mary Smith
- Clyde Cook as Clyde Jones
- William Demarest as 'Terrible Bill' McGovern
- Myrna Loy as Yvonne De Russo
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Box office
[edit]According to Warner Bros records the film earned $101,000 domestic and $38,000 foreign.[1]
Preservation
[edit]Pay as You Enter is a lost film.[6][7][8]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Warner Bros financial information in The William Schaefer Ledger. See Appendix 1, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, (1995) 15:sup1, 1-31 p 6 DOI: 10.1080/01439689508604551
- ^ Leider, Emily W. (2011). Myrna Loy: The Only Good Girl in Hollywood. University of California Press. p. 319. ISBN 978-0-520-25320-9.
- ^ The AFI Catalog of Feature Films: Pay as You Enter
- ^ Progressive Silent Film List: Pay as You Enter at silentera.com
- ^ "The Shadow Stage: Pay as You Enter". Photoplay. 34 (1). New York City: Photoplay Publishing Company: 82. June 1928. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
- ^ The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: Pay as You Enter
- ^ Pay as You Enter at Lost Film Files: Warner Brothers lost films - 1928
- ^ List of 7200 Lost U.S. Silent Feature Films 1912-29, p. 50
External links
[edit]
- Pay as You Enter at IMDb
- Lobby card at www.filmbooster.com
- Lobby card at www.gettyimages.com
- Coming Attractions lantern slide from the W. Ward Marsh Cinema Archive, Cleveland Public Library
- Still showing how scenes in a moving streetcar were filmed
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