Exit Smiling (1926)

A wannabe actress (Beatrice Lillie) joins a third rate traveling acting troupe but she's stuck playing maids rather than leading roles. She falls in love with a young recruit (Jack Pickford, Mary's brother) to the stage, unaware he is in love with someone else. Based on the play by Marc Connelly and directed by Sam Taylor (COQUETTE). A middling silent comedy that is notable for being the film debuts of Beatrice Lillie and Franklin Pangborn. Lillie is the reason for seeing the movie. She's a terrific physical comedienne but her film resume (this is her only silent film) is quite limited and the movie only gives an inkling of her talent. If she had better roles in better movies, she might have been the female Chaplin or Buster Keaton. Alas, she only made six more movies, the stage was her medium. With Doris Lloyd and DeWitt Jennings.