Brewster's Millions (1921 film)

Brewster's Millions is a 1921 American silent comedy film directed by Oscar Apfel and starring Fatty Arbuckle. It is based on the 1902 novel of the same name by George Barr McCutcheon. The film follows the story of Monty Brewster, a man who inherits seven million dollars, but only if he can spend one million dollars in one year without acquiring any assets, giving any of it away, or telling anyone the reason.

The 1921 adaptation is notable as one of Arbuckle's final film roles before the scandal that effectively ended his career. Although prints of the film were thought to be lost for many years, at least one copy is known to exist and has been screened at film festivals and made available on home video. The film is considered a classic example of early American comedic cinema. It differs in some key plot points from later adaptations of McCutcheon's novel, particularly in the details of how Monty Brewster is allowed to spend the money. While successful for its time, it's less remembered than later iterations of the Brewster's Millions story.