For the Boys Blogathon

Participating blogs:
As Time Goes By
Backlots
Bette’s Classic Movie Blog
Blame Mame
Comet Over Hollywood
Dear Mr. Gable
Frankly, My Dear
Hollywood Revue, The
Jeremy Gurto
lilliangish.net
Most Beautiful Fraud in the World, The
Noir and Chick Flicks
Pussy Goes Grr
Sinamatic Salve-ation
Sittin’ on a Backyard Fence
Tales of the Easily Distracted
True Classics
Undy a Hundy

What I think men most like about the western/film noir actor Robert Mitchum, is how he swaggered through the wildness of his youth and became very independent man. Without a doubt, one of Mr. Mitchum's best films is also his favorite performance, The Night of the Hunter (1955). His performance as Reverend Harry Powell, is considered by many to be one of the most suspenseful of his career.

The film begins when family man Ben Harper, is sentenced to hang for his part in a robbery in which two men were killed. Before he is caught he hides the stolen money, telling only his son John, where the money is.

Reverend Harry Powell, a serial killer and posing as preacher with the two words "LOVE" and "HATE" tattooed across his knuckles, shares a prison cell with Harper. While Harper sleeping, Powell over hears him say: "And a little child shall lead them."

Powell, now believes that Harper's children, are the only ones who know the secret of where the money is and to win their trust, marries their mother, Willa. Powell, asks the children about the money and John becomes suspicious of Powell and does not trust him. Willa, overhears her new husband questioning the children and now that she knows the truth, he kills her.

After Powell dumps her body, you see a beautiful/horrific under water scene of her sitting in the car at the bottom of the pond. He learns where the money is and the children escape down the river with the money. The river scene is one of many moments of pure beauty and the music keeps you drifting along.



 They find safety with an eccentric old woman named, Rachel Cooper. Powell, eventually catches up with them, but Rachel knows that he is evil and takes matters into her own hands.

The cat and mouse game, between Reverend Harry Powell and young John, will keep you sitting on the edge of your seat.

Video: An Unseen Enemy (1912).

Thank you Silent, for your wonderful movie review. Lillian and Dorothy Gish give a wonderful performance in this silent film. I loved the scenes with Robert Harron. The three of them are natural actors, which you can see in this film. Great photography.

An Unseen Enemy (1912, Biograph)

“An Unseen Enemy” (1912) is a Biograph short directed by D.W. Griffith that is most notable for being the first film of sisters, Lillian and Dorothy Gish. Fifteen minutes in length, this exciting suspense film was probably Griffith’s most complex race to the rescue drama at the time. The story begins with two sisters, played by Lillian and Dorothy Gish, who are mourning their recently deceased father. The sisters have inherited a small sum of money which is deposited in a safe in their home by their brother, played by Elmer Booth, who then leaves for work. Unfortunately, the sisters are left in the care of a housekeeper, played by Grace Henderson, who goes after the money. At this point, we meet Bobby, the younger sister’s boyfriend, played by Robert Harron, who is about to leave for college, but is unhappy that she is too shy to give him a farewell kiss. Meanwhile the housekeeper enlists the help of a disreputable partner, played by Harry Carey, who cracks the safe while she has the sisters locked in a room and terrorize them by firing a gun through a hole in the wall.

"An Unseen Enemy" is very melodramatic, but it is effectively suspenseful. The set up is rather accurate and the action takes up around half of the duration of the film. I loved the way Griffith threw in various little twists to heighten up the tension like the phone line going dead and the close-up of the gun emerging through a hole in the wall. I was quite impressed with the great photography and the natural style of acting of the Gish sisters and Robert Harron. This Biograph short is worth watching just to see the Gish sisters at the dawn of their film careers.

Dorothy Gish, who as an adolescent entered films in D.W. Griffith’s one-reelers, helped establish the art of silent film acting and motion picture development. Even though she enjoyed a career that spanned six decades, she is barely remembered. Dorothy was famous as a comedienne in an era dominated by male clowns. Were it not for her relation to Lillian Gish and her dramatic performance in D.W. Griffith’s “Orphans of the Storm” (1921), she probably wouldn’t be remembered at all. Dorothy was born on March 11, 1898, in Dayton, Ohio into a broken family after her father walked out on his wife and first child, Lillian. Their mother had the two girls onstage at a very early age. The girls and their mother lived a less than glamorous life, but took whatever roles they could to survive. Virtually all of the Gish girls’ youth was spent in the theatre until 1912 when they decided to go visit the studio where their good friend from the theatre, Gladys Smith, known as Mary Pickford on the screen, was working. The girls visited the Biograph studio on East 14^th Street in New York City and were introduced to D.W. Griffith. He immediately put them to work, and their first starring role was in a suspense drama, “An Unseen Enemy” (1912). The Gish sisters became a mainstay of Griffith’s stock company appearing in dozens of shorts. Dorothy and Lillian were included in Griffith’s first attempts at feature length films such as “Judith of Bethulia”(1914) and “Home Sweet Home” (1914) but Dorothy was not used in his epic, “The Birth of a Nation” (1915). However, Dorothy’s role as the “Little Disturber” in “Hearts of the World” (1918) brought her recognition. Realizing her comedic talent, Paramount signed her to a contract and she made 14 films for the company over the next four years. One of these was “Remodeling Her Husband” (1920) which co-starred her husband-to-be, James Rennie, and was the only film ever directed by Lillian. Dorothy co-starred twice more with her sister in “Orphans of the Storm” (1921) and “Romola” (1924). Dorothy made 17 films from 1920 to 1929, one of the most popular was the English made Nell Gwynne (1926). Dorothy’s last silent film was “Madame Pompadour” (1927). After her first sound film, “Wolves” (1930), Dorothy spent almost all of her time in a very successful career on the stage. Dorothy returned to the big screen again for “Our Hearts Were Young and Gay” (1944), “Centennial Summer”(1946), “The Whistle at Eaton Falls” (1951), and “The Cardinal” (1963). Dorothy Gish died on June 4, 1968 of bronchial pneumonia. She was 70 years old.

Happy Birthday: Lillian Gish!

Lillian Gish, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in one of my favorite movies, Duel in the Sun(1946). Please click here to read Duel In Sun-(1946) Movie review.

Another Lillian Gish favorite film and my Halloween movie pick, The Night of the Hunter(1955). Thriller directed by Charles Laughton. Cast: Robert Mitchum and Shelley Winters.

The Night of the Hunter (1955). The film begins when family man Ben Harper, is sentenced to hang for his part in a robbery in which two men were killed. Before he is caught he hides the stolen money, telling only his son John, where the money is.

Reverend Harry Powell, a serial killer and self-appointed preacher with the two words "LOVE" and "HATE" tattooed across his knuckles, shares a prison cell with Harper. While Harper sleeping he says: "And a little child shall lead them."

Powell, now believes that Harper's children, are the only ones who know the secret of where the money is and marries Harper's widow, Willa. Powell, asks the children about the money and John becomes suspicious of Powell and does not trust him. Willa, overhears her new husband questioning the children and she now that she knows the truth, he kills her.

After Powell dumps her body in the pond, a beautiful/horrific under water scene of their mother sitting in the car at the bottom of the lake. He learns where the money is and the children escape down the river with the money. The river scene is one of many moments of pure beauty and the music keeps you drifting along. They find safety with an eccentric old woman named, Rachel Cooper. Powell, eventually catches up with them, but Rachel knows that he is evil and takes matters into her own hands.

I will never forget his tall dark shadow looming over the children. This movie had me sitting at the edge of my seat..

Lillian Gish, was considered for a couple of roles in, Gone with the Wind. Ranging from Ellen O'Hara, Scarlett's mother, to the role of the prostitute, Belle Watling.

Gish made many television appearances from the 1950s into 1980s. Her most well known television performance was, The Trip to Bountiful(1953). Gish became one of the leading advocates on the lost art of the silent film, giving speeches and touring to screenings of classic works. In 1975, she hosted The Silent Years, a PBS film program of silent films.

Gish received a Special Academy Award in 1971 "For superlative artistry and for distinguished contribution to the progress of motion pictures." In 1984 she received an American Film Institute Lifetime Achievement Award, becoming only the second female recipient (Bette Davis was first in 1977), and the only recipient who was a major figure in the silent era.

Her last film performance was in, The Whales of August (1987) at the age of 93, with Vincent Price, Bette Davis and Ann Sothern, in which she and Davis starred as elderly sisters in Maine. The film was shot on location on Maine's Cliff Island. The film was directed by Lindsay Anderson, his final feature film, and the screenplay was adapted by David Berry from his own play.

The story is about two elderly widowed sisters near the end of their lives, spending a summer in beach house in Maine. While visiting there they think back to all the summers they had there in the past. They talk about the passage of time, and all the misunderstandings that kept them from having a close relationship.

Libby, played by Davis, is bitter and cold . Sarah, played by Gish, is a softer and more tolerant, wanting very much to have a relationship with her sister. The resentment that Libby has towards her, stifles Sarah's every move at becoming friends.

Vincent Price a fisherman, plays the romantic interest for Gish. Sothern a lifelong friend provides the fun and laughter. In flashbacks actresses Margaret Ladd, Mary Steenburgen and Tisha Sterling (Sothern's real-life daughter) play, the Davis, Gish, and Sothern characters as young women.

Her final performance was a cameo on the 1988 studio recording of Jerome Kern's Show Boat, starring Frederica von Stade and Jerry Hadley, in which she affectingly spoke the few lines of The Old Lady on the Levee in the final scene. The last words of her near century-spanning career: "Good night, dear."

Please click on Lillian Gish's name in the tag line, located at the bottom of the article, to view more information and pictures about this wonderful actress..

True Heart Susie(1919).

A couple of Videos from the Silent movie, True Heart Susie(1919). With Lillian Gish.





Personal quote:
"Those little virgins, after five minutes you got sick of playing them - to make them more interesting was hard work."

"True Heart Susie" (1919) Lillian Gish

“True Heart Susie” (1919) is a silent romantic drama starring Lillian Gish, Robert Harron, and Clarine Seymour. Directed by D.W. Griffith and adapted from the story by Marian Fremont, this film is about a shy, plain girl who loves her childhood sweetheart but loses him to a more “modern woman.” The story begins with Susie, played by Lillian Gish, secretly in love with the boy next door, William Jenkins, played by Robert Harron, but is afraid to tell him, and he is totally oblivious about her true feelings. Susie secretly sells her cow, Daisy, and other livestock she inherited from her mother to send William away to college to study for the ministry and fulfill his ambition. However, Susie lets William believe that the money comes from this rich man whom once promised to help him. After his college graduation, William returns, and Susie has the satisfaction of hearing him preach his first sermon. Susie’s hopes, however, are shattered when William becomes fascinated by a frivolous and worthless party girl, Bettina Hopkins, played by Clarine Seymour. When Susie accidentally sees William and Bettina kissing, she realizes he is lost to her. Ready to settle down, William surprisingly asks Bettina to marry him. Bettina agrees to marry him because she is tired of working and wants someone to support her instead. Even though Susie is heartbroken, she never confronts William about it. Instead, Susie swallows her pride and grief to serve as bridesmaid at William and Bettina’s wedding. Totally unqualified as a minister’s wife, Bettina starts cheating on William with Sporty Malone, played by Raymond Cannon, and his friends. One day Bettina makes plans to sneak away from William and attend a party with some friends. On her way home that night it starts thundering and Bettina realizes she has lost her key. At this point, she runs to Susie for help and asks her to lie to William for her. With her love married to a hussy how will poor Susie ever find happiness?

Lillian Gish made her screen debut with her younger sister Dorothy in D.W. Griffith’s “The Unseen Enemy” (1912), a one-reel suspense drama featuring the pair, at American Biograph. “The Mothering Heart”(1913), a two-reeler, first demonstrated the emotional intensity of which Lillian was capable. Griffith must have first become aware of the unique quality of her acting when he directed her at American Biograph. There are few who are not aware of Lillian’s emotionally moving performances for Griffith in “The Birth of a Nation” (1915), “Hearts of the World” (1918), “Broken Blossoms” (1919),”Way Down East” (1920) and “Orphans of the Storm” (1922). Her relationship with Griffith flourished until 1921, when a financial disagreement finally severed their ties. Lillian then became the darling of MGM, where she starred in “The White Sister” (1923), “Romola” (1925), “La Boheme” (1926), “The Scarlet Letter” (1926),“The Wind” (1928), and others. After the introduction of sound, her innocent image seemed dated. When her contract expired, Lillian returned to the stage for many years. Eventually she returned to the screen as a character actress, giving memorable performances in “Duel in the Sun” (1945), “The Night of the Hunter” (1955), and her last film, “The Whales of August” (1987).

Nineteen-twenty was a bad year for both D.W. Griffith and for American filmgoers. That year saw the deaths of two of the director’s brightest young stars, Clarine Seymour and Robert Harron, both of whom might have had brilliant careers ahead of them. Clarine Seymour had a natural, saucy quality that made her an appealing light comedienne. Her curly black hair was just ready for the bob of the new decade. Harron and Seymour were teamed in two features, “The Girl Who Stayed at Home” and “True Heart Susie," both released in 1919. After “The Girl Who Stayed at Home” and “True Heart Susie,” Griffith featured Seymour along with Richard Barthelmess in “Scarlet Days” (1919) and “The Idol Dancer” (1920). Ultimately, “The Idol Dancer” was a waste of time for both its leads, but it did bring Seymour critical and popular praise. The films make it obvious that Griffith was grooming both Seymour and Barthelmess for stardom in the 1920’s. Seymour signed a four-year contract with Griffith and began filming of the role subsequently played by Mary Hay in “Way Down East” (1920), but she died suddenly of an intestinal ailment that didn’t respond to treatment on April 25, 1920. Seymour was only twenty-one years old. Robert Harron was a brilliantly talented actor whose last film with Griffith was the odd, dark “The Greatest Question” (1919), with Lillian Gish. Some feel he was being ousted by Richard Barthelmess, who had appeared in several Griffith films and was being groomed for the male lead in “Way Down East” (1920). When Harron died, some writer speculated that he was heartbroken at Barthelmess usurping his career. Actually, his career was on the upswing when he and Griffith parted amicably. Harron signed on with Metro early in 1920, and he had his own company within the studio. Harron died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on September 5, 1920. The official certificate listed his death as accidental. Harron was only twenty-seven years old.

Not a fan of Griffith’s spectacles like “The Birth of a Nation” (1915) and “Intolerance” (1916), I prefer his smaller productions like “True Heart Susie” (1919). Robert Harron is wonderful as the sincere and naïve young man who is fooled by a superficial woman. Lillian Gish is excellent as the shy, plain, and simple girl who loves Robert Harron. She makes the role interesting and sympathetic with her subtle gestures and expressions. Clarine Seymour almost steals the show from Gish playing the vamp who ensnares Harron. A bittersweet love story, “True Heart Susie” (1919) is one of the most charming of Griffith’s films and a little gem of the silent screen.