The Lonely Villa (1909)

A gang of thieves lure a man out of his home so that they can rob it and threaten his wife and children. The family barricade themselves in an interior room, but the criminals are ... See full summary »

Director:

D.W. Griffith

Writers:

André de Lorde (play), Mack Sennett

Stars:

David Miles, Marion Leonard, Mary Pickford

Cast

Credited cast:
David Miles	...	Robert Cullison
Marion Leonard	...	Mrs. Robert Cullison
Mary Pickford	...	One of the Cullison Children
Gladys Egan	...	One of the Cullison Children
Adele DeGarde	...	One of the Cullison Children
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Charles Avery	...	At the Inn
Clara T. Bracy
John R. Cumpson	...	At the Inn
Robert Harron
Anita Hendrie	...	The Maid
Arthur V. Johnson	...	At the Inn
James Kirkwood	...	Among Rescuers
Florence Lawrence
Violet Mersereau	...	At the Inn
Owen Moore	...	A Burglar

Storyline

A gang of thieves lure a man out of his home so that they can rob it and threaten his wife and children. The family barricade themselves in an interior room, but the criminals are well-equipped for breaking in. When the father finds out what is happening, he must race against time to get back home.

---

Plot Keywords:

children | barricade | burglary | telephone | family relationships | 

---

Genres:

Short | Crime | Drama

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 June 1909 (USA)

Also Known As:

Magányos villa

Filming Locations:

Fort Lee, New Jersey, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Biograph Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

8 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Released as a split reel along with A New Trick.

---

Connections

Featured in Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood: Peepshow Pioneers (2010)

User Reviews

Decent Short Melodrama

This is a decent short drama that creates some fairly good suspense with a story of a mother and her children being attacked by a gang of deceitful and brutal thieves. For its time, the story is told pretty well, shifting scenes at times to heighten the suspense. It does get a bit choppy in places, and things don't always fit together smoothly, whether due to the editing or perhaps simply due to its age. (It just doesn't seem to be as carefully pieced together as many of Griffith's short films.) But it's all watchable, and the story makes you want to find out what will happen. It should be interesting enough for anyone who likes these early short melodramas. A young Mary Pickford also has a small role.