Charles (Buck) Jones & Zasu Pitts in Frank Borzage's "Lazybones" (1925)

Set around 1900, Steve Tuttle (Charles 'Buck' Jones), a lovable but shiftless character known as 'Lazybones' because of his easy-going nature, who lives with his mother (Edythe Chapman), sits around and fishes, neglecting chores and a local girl, Agnes Fanning (Jane Novak), who is in love with him. He is introduced by a symbolic shot of molasses pouring slowly over pancakes.
But their romance is derailed when Agnes' sister, Ruth fanning (Zeus Pitts), returns home from school with a baby and a story about a marriage to a sailor who was lost at sea, and drowned, but she can't produce a marriage certificate.
This brings down a world of shame on the hapless young girl, so she attempts suicide by jumping in the river, but Lazybones rescues her, and they concoct a plan where he will claim to have found the baby and she can return home alone in a few days.
Lazybones takes pity on the baby, Kit, and adopts her without revealing her true mother. He refuses to give the infant up, and takes on the responsibility of raising a fatherless girl, causing a scandal in his small town. Agnes renounces Lazybones when he refuses to give up the child. So, he loses his sweetheart. The town turns on him and the baby girl, but Lazybones holds to his promise.
Ruth is consigned to marry a local jerk, Elmer Ballister (Wm. Norton Bailey). Years pass, Agnes and Ruth's mother, Mrs. Fanning (Emily Fitzroy), is very strict and when Ruth confesses to her mother, telling her of the child, Mrs. Fanning strikes Ruth with a cane. Ruth dies, and the little girl Kit (Virginia Marshall) grows into a lovely young woman (Madge Bellamy).
Lazybones goes off to France to fight in WWI, and when he returns to his town that has still never quite forgiven him, he discovers that he loves his grown-up ward, and vows to marry the girl. But, then he discovers that Kit has fallen in love with a young man who is much closer to her own age, Dick Ritchie (Leslie Fenton).
Kit weds Dick, and although Lazybones loses out, there is a hint that Lazybones and Agnes will marry.
A 1925 American silent black & white romantic drama film released by Fox Film Corporation, produced and directed by Frank Borzage, scenario by Frances Marion from a play by Owen Davis, cinematography by Glen MacWilliams and George Schneiderman, starring Charles 'Buck' Jones, Madge Bellamy, Leslie Fenton, Jane Novak, Edythe Chapman, William Bailey, Virginia Marshall, and Zasu Pitts. A special word is needed for Fitzroy, who along with Josephine Crowell, ranks among the major battle-axes of the silent era. Best know for her fluttery old maids, ZaSu Pitts turns in a solid dramatic performance, making an impression in her tragic role.
Charles 'Buck' Jones is terrific. Normally a heroic Western star, he takes a surprising turn by playing a shiftless rural character in this romance. Jones never gave a better performance than as the title character of this piece. He has expressive eyes and a tender rapport with the cast. He usually starred in Westerns and for a time rivaled William S. Hart in popularity. Here he has a chance at a part that requires a delicate mix of drama and comedy. He was still going strong in 1942, starring in B-Westerns when he was caught in the famous Coconut Grove fire in Boston. He died two days later.
Owen Davis' "Lazybones" opened at NYC's Vanberbilt Theater on September 22, 1924 and ran for 79 weeks. It was produced by Sam Harris and included cast members: George Abbott (Steve Tuttle), Amelia Gardner (Martha Tuttle), Elizabeth Patterson (Rebecca Fanning), Willard Robertson (Lou Sisler) and Charles C. Wilson (Elmer Ballister).
At his peak in the 1930s and 1940s, to watch Frank Borzage with pleasure, you have to believe in love as something more than a variety of lust. Although the influence of Murnau on Borzage is usually cited as key, looking at this movie, made three years before "SUNRISE", we can see that the essence of Borzage is already in place: the small figures against the beautifully shot enormous vistas, the seemingly inevitable workings-out of the plot but most especially the way people look at each other. Visually, Borzage has not settled on his signature look, a gauzy effect achieved, according to legend, by filming through a pair of sheer white hose that softened the image and forced the audience to see what was in the viewer's heart.
Borzage was working near the height of his powers, and his restrained handling of the actors and staging of the scenes make this comedy-drama far less dated than most of its contemporaries. He seems to really believe in the material, and so will you.
A subtle, tender, surprising, and deceptively low-key film that quietly suggests that love and sacrifice are not always rewarded, that relationships can be destroyed permanently by lack of trust, and that people's characters just don't change. A sustained, tender look at a group of people whose lives are more like those of real human beings than of Hollywood movie characters.

[@nickpemberton543]

A small gem. I love frank Borzage's movies, he's so good at finding the emotional truth in any given scene, for example when Steve comes home from war. Huge credit is due Buck Jones, I've always liked him but have only seen him in westerns from the 30's & early 40's; he's tremendous here (again, that homecoming scene). A great upload, excellent picture quality & a pretty good score too, thank you.

[@DonaldPBorchersOG]

Thanks, Nick. I spent some time scouring CZcams's music catalogue to find those music cues. I'm glad at least one person appreciates it.

[@RetiredSchoolCook]

😃 Great movie 🎥🎬 👍 Buck Jones , good to see him not in a western movie 🤠🐴 Love Zasu Pitts ❤ Thank you 👍 Sept . 24 , 2023

[@DonaldPBorchersOG]

Welcome.

[@xasplms9655]

thks

[@DonaldPBorchersOG]

Welcome.