mmipyle Review of The Lonely Villa

The Lonely Villa (1909)

Excellent early drama! Griffith exceling at early film-making...

[9/10 · 10 March 2021]

"The Lonely Villa" (1909) is just a tad less than ten minutes in length. Directed by D. W. Griffith, this is an exciting early Biograph single reeler where the owners of a "villa" are unknowingly being set up to be robbed and... David Miles, the head of the house, leaves to do something, has an automobile breakdown, calls his wife, and discovers from his wife that she hears people trying to break in the house. Then they get in while she's on the phone. Then the phone goes dead. The wife is played by Marion Leonard. Her three children are Mary Pickford, Gladys Egan, and Adele DeGarde. The "burglars" are Owen Moore, Herbert Prior, and Anthony O'Sullivan. Most of the typical Griffith early film cast members are also in attendance in the film, from Florence Lawrence, Arthur V. Johnson to Frank Powell, James Kirkwood, and Bobby Harron. Very well done. Beautifully presented as an extra and in tip-top condition on the new Grapevine Blu-Ray release of "Rosita" along with two other short films. "The Lonely Villa" has musical accompaniment with an excellent score written by Ed Lorusso.