What Drink Did (1909)

A man leaves his wife and two daughters for work in a carpentry shop. At work, he initially refuses a beer with lunch, then gives in. After work, two friends take a little while to convince... See full summary »

Director:

D.W. Griffith

Writer:

D.W. Griffith

Stars:

David Miles, Florence Lawrence, Gladys Egan

Cast

Credited cast:
David Miles	...	Alfred Lucas
Florence Lawrence	...	Mrs. Alfred Lucas
Gladys Egan	...	One of the Lucas Children
Adele DeGarde	...	One of the Lucas Children
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Charles Avery	...	Workman
John R. Cumpson	...	Bartender
Flora Finch
Anita Hendrie	...	Extra
Arthur V. Johnson	...	Bartender
Owen Moore	...	Workman
George Nichols	...	Workman
Anthony O'Sullivan	...	Workman
Mary Pickford
Herbert Prior	...	Workman
Mack Sennett	...	Workman

Storyline

A man leaves his wife and two daughters for work in a carpentry shop. At work, he initially refuses a beer with lunch, then gives in. After work, two friends take a little while to convince him to go for a refreshing malt beverage, then to have another and another. Meanwhile, the family waits. He arrives home late and abusive. The next day, hung over, he takes much less convincing to have the drinks; he's gone so long that his wife sends a daughter looking for him. She eventually finds him, can't convince him to return home, goes home, sees her mother's distress, and returns to the bar. This time, her father gets more abusive, a fight ensues, a shot is fired, and tragedy strikes.

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Plot Keywords:

alcohol

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Genres:

Short | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 June 1909 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Fort Lee, New Jersey, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Biograph Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

12 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Edited into Prohibition: Thirteen Years That Changed America (1997)

User Reviews

The Secret Prequel to The Shining

This Griffith one-reeler is the first part of a prequel to Kubrick's The Shining.

What Drink Did narrates how Delbert Grady, the caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, kills one of her two daughters under the effects of booze. Griffith did not have the time to complete his prequel project so we do not know how the second daughter died and when the two bodies got the ill treatment seen in The Shining.

Overall, a worthy effort from the master filmmaker of those early days of movies. What I most liked is the delicate way in which Griffith conveys a moral message, by no means spoon-fed to the audience. The extreme plausibility of the plot and the supremely realistic acting are certainly key elements in the brilliant success of this tale.