jack straw is a 1920 american silent comedy film produced by famous players-lasky and distributed by paramount pictures. william c. demille directed the film and robert warwick and carroll mccomas star. the film is based on a 1908 stage play by w. somerset maugham starring john drew and a young mary boland. winston churchill made a cameo appearance in the original film. in 1926 paramount attempted a remake of this film called "the waiter from the ritz" which was begun and/or completed but never released. james cruze directed and raymond griffith starred; this film, if completed, is now lost. the 1920 film survives at the library of congress.