
This week’s mystery movie was the 1926 Arrow Pictures Corp. film My Lady of Whims, with Clara Bow, Carmelita Geraghty, Betty Baker, Donald Keith, Lee Moran, Francis McDonald, John Cossar, Lux MacBride and Robert Rose.
Adapted from the Argosy story Protecting Prue, by Edgar Franklin.
Scenario by Dorothy Schroeder.
Photographed by Jack Young.
Directed by Dallas M. Fitzgerald.
A Dallas M. Fitzgerald Production.
Further information on My Lady of Whims is available from the AFI Catalog.
My Lady of Whims exists in dismal or incomplete prints on the Internet. I was prompted to use it as a mystery movie after seeing an Instagram post by David Stenn about restoring the film.
Good scans of reels 3, 5-6 are here.
Alas, The New York Times apparently did not review My Lady of Whims, so we have The Film Daily review from January 17, 1926.

For Monday, we have two mysterious fellows.
Update: This is Francis McDonald, left. His mysterious companion remains unidentified.

For Tuesday, we have a woman of mystery.
Update: This is Betty Baker.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Monday’s mysterious fellow No. 1), Mike Hawks (Monday’s mysterious fellow No. 1) and Greg (Monday’s enigmatic chap No. 1).

For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a mysterious fellow, dangerously armed with a gun!
Update: This is Lee Moran.
Brain Trust roll call: Megan and Thom (Monday’s mysterious guest No. 1), Stacia (mystery movie, Monday’s mysterious guest No. 1 and Tuesday’s mystery woman), and Sheila (Monday’s mysterious fellow No. 1).

For “Aha Thursday,” we have a woman of mystery!
Update: This is Carmelita Geraghty.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mysterious fellow), Stacia (Wednesday’s mysterious fellow) and Mike Hawks (mystery movie and Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests).

For Friday, we have our mysterious leading man.
Update: This is Donald Keith.

And our mysterious leading lady.
Update: This is Clara Bow.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Tuesday’s and Thursday’s mysterious women) and Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery woman).
Hmm, is that Max Linder?
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An excellent guess. But, alas, it’s another mustachioed fellow.
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Francis McDonald on the left, way against type.
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Francis McDonald.
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L.A.TIMES article: DVDs are the new vinyl records: Why Gen Z is embracing physical media.
Mystery Photo sparks an interest.
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The gentleman on the left looks to me like Ward Crane, whom I know as the villain in Buster Keaton’s “Sherlock Jr.”
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An excellent guess! But it’s another mustachioed fellow this time!
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He Who Gets Slapped 1924
Monday, just for grins: I don’t really think it’s the right movie but it has clowns (a LOT of clowns) and the era seems right.
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An excellent guess and there are lots of clowns. But not this one. You’ll get it, I’m sure!
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Is that Francis J. McDonald on the left in Monday’s photo?
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I think our mystery guest is Francis McDonald, but I’m not sure which of his 376 credits it fits. I remember first seeing him in The Sea Hawk when I was little.
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A GIRL IN EVERY REPORT. Winifred Kingston today.
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An interesting guess! But, alas, I’m afraid not.
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Monday’s mustachioed fellow has that Antonio Moreno vibe.
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The mystery man on Monday is Francis McDonald! I kept thinking he looked like that guy in that Clara Bow movie and now I realize this IS that Clara Bow movie, MY LADY OF WHIMS. I didn’t remember the movie being in such rough shape but I guess I’m just remembering all the still photos from the movie, where Clara looks absolutely amazing of course. Everybody loves that dress! Tuesday is Betty Baker. Unfortunately I don’t know the other guy on Monday and he’s not credited.
The Monday photo was hilarious because my first thought was “oh, it’s a silent from the 20s with clowns and an Egyptian theme” and WOW that does not narrow things down.
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Francis MacDonald for Monday, Viola Dana for Tuesday?
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MY LADY OF WHIMS. Carmrlita Geraghty Tuesday and Lee Moran Wednesday.
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Is it Free and Easy 1930?
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Wednesday’s guy looks like Buster Keaton to me, thus the movie guess earlier.
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An excellent guess! But the Great Buster isn’t our armed and dangerous mystery fellow.
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Francis’s hat really DOES look like it’s from He Who Gets Slapped with the little puffball dealie removed. On Monday I spent time trying to remember which clown movie I was thinking of, all I could manage was “that silent clown movie where someone famous was supposedly a background clown.” (I was thinking of the rumor that Bela Lugosi is a background clown in Slapped, supposedly.)
Wednesday is Lee Moran, who retired in the 1930s and I don’t know why. Found an article from 1929 saying his studio contract had been held for 10 years, making him the actor with the longest contract, at the time.
For some reason I keep wanting to make a Snitz Edwards joke.
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Buster Keaton
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An interesting guess. But the Great Buster was elsewhere was the film was shot.
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Betty Baker and Lee Moran in MY LADY OF WHIMS.
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I agree about the Great Buster … there’s his look-alike. Is Tuesday’s mysterious lady Kathryn McGuire, who worked with Buster in The Navigator?
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Alas, the Great Stoneface was on another shoot that day….
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Betty Baker Wednesday and Carmelita Geraghty today.
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Carmelita Geraghty.
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Is the guy with the mustache Edmund Lowe?
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Donald Keith and Clara Bow.
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Jean Arthur?
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An interesting guess! But alas….
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Donald Keith and Clara Bow.
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Donald Keith and Clara.
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