Parody Because audiences had seen these classic Westerns, they had expectations for any new Westerns, and when these expectations were inverted, the audience laughed. Perhaps the earliest parody film was the 1922 "Mud and Sand", a Stan Laurel film that made fun of Rudolph Valentino's film "Blood and Sand". Laurel specialized in parodies in the mid-1920s, writing and acting in a number of them. Some were send-ups of popular films, such as "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"—parodied in the comic "Dr. Pyckle and Mr. Pryde" (1926). Others were spoofs of Broadway plays, such as "No, No, Nanette" (1925), parodied as "Yes,
The Circle (1925 film) The Circle (1925 film) The Circle is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Frank Borzage. The film stars Eleanor Boardman, Malcolm McGregor, and Alec B. Francis. A young Joan Crawford appears early in the film but only in a limited role. The screenplay, written by Kenneth B. Clarke, was based on the 1921 play of the same title by British writer W. Somerset Maugham. The film survives today in excellent condition. The play was filmed again by MGM in an early sound (released also in silent) in 1930 as "Strictly Unconventional". In the 1890s, young Lady Catherine (Joan