Swords and Hearts (1911)
1911 · Silent film · 16 min · dir. D. W. Griffith
- Drama
- silent film
- War
Synopsis
As Hugh Frazier, son of a wealthy tobacco planter, leaves to join his company in the Confederate Army, he becomes engaged to Irene Lambert, a beautiful, but cold and calculating girl, who promises her hand when he returns victorious. Unknown to Hugh, Jennie Baker, a little girl of the "poor white class," has fallen passionately in love with him. Her father is one of those who hate the "aristocrats," eking an existence selling berries, etc., from their little garden. Hugh, making a flying visit to Irene, is only saved from capture by Jennie's devotion, she taking his horse and donning his hat and coat, by which she leads his pursuers astray. That night, Jennie's father is killed leading an attack by Bushwhackers upon the Frazier Mansion in an attempt to secure the family wealth, but old Ben, the negro servant, anticipates their designs by taking the family strong box and burying it. The Bushwhackers, however, burn the old mansion to the ground, Hugh's father, perishing in the ruins. Hence, when Hugh returns, he finds himself homeless. Irene has turned her attentions upon a Union officer, but Jennie is still faithful. Hugh now sees her worth, and old Ben appears with the strong box which has remained hidden since the night of the attack.
Synopsis from OMDb
Details
- Director
- D. W. Griffith
- Writer
- Emmett C. Hall
- Cinematography
- Billy Bitzer
- Studio
- American Mutoscope & Biograph
- Released
- 1911-08-27
- Running time
- 16 minutes
- Language
- English
- Collection
- Silent Films, Feature Films
Subjects on the Internet Archive
- Civil war
- Griffith
Cast & crew
D. W. Griffith Director
Verner Clarges
Wilfred Lucas
W. Chrystie Miller- Frank Evans
Francis J. Grandon
Kate Bruce
Florence La Badie
Dorothy West
Reviews on the Internet Archive
★★★★★ · Another fine Biograph film · HappySwordsman · 2018-12-08
Beautiful presentation of this classic film. What I find really interesting is that, at the time the film was released, some members of the cinema audience would have been old enough to have memories of the 1860s. I guess this may seem strange but I find that fascinating.
