True Heart Susie (1919)

Susie, a plain young country girl, secretly loves a neighbor boy, William. She believes in him and sacrifices much of her own happiness to promote his own ambitions, all without his ... See full summary »

Director:

D.W. Griffith

Writer:

Marian Fremont (story)

Stars:

Lillian Gish, Robert Harron, Wilbur Higby

Cast

Cast overview:
Lillian Gish	...	True Heart Susie
Robert Harron	...	William Jenkins
Wilbur Higby	...	William's father
Loyola O'Connor	...	Susie's aunt
George Fawcett	...	The Stranger
Clarine Seymour	...	Bettina Hopkins
Kate Bruce	...	Bettina's aunt
Carol Dempster	...	Bettina's friend
Raymond Cannon	...	Sporty Malone

Storyline

Susie, a plain young country girl, secretly loves a neighbor boy, William. She believes in him and sacrifices much of her own happiness to promote his own ambitions, all without his knowledge. Eventually he rises to a position of success and sophistication, and Susie realizes that she has through her own efforts raised him to a level where he is inaccessible to her.

---

Plot Keywords:

small town americana | marriage | self sacrifice | minister | unrequited love | 

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 June 1919 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Story of a Plain Girl

Company Credits

Production Co:

D.W. Griffith Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min 61 min (video) 87 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White (tinted)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Released under Paramount Pictures' prestigious Artcraft label. In 1919 Adolph Zukor devised a three-tiered brand system - the Artcraft division for its high-end, A-list product (ones that could command higher roadshow admissions in major cities) and Realart on the opposite end. The middle tier, which comprised the bulk of the studio's mainstream releases, was the Paramount banner. This quality classification existed for five years.

---

Connections

Featured in American Masters: Lillian Gish: The Actor's Life for Me (1988)

User Reviews

Timeless masterpiece

"True Heart Susie" is one of my top five or four favorite silent films -a timeless masterpiece of simple beauty and innocence. Set in small rural town in America, it is about a simple and devoted young woman "True Heart Susie" (Lillian Gish, in what is perhaps her finest performance) who makes painful sacrifices to promote her next door neighbor and ignorant love William Jenkins (Robert Harron) to college. This is D.W. Griffith at his peak. There isn't a scene in the this marvellously lyrical film that never attains emotional beauty and resonance. It may not have the technical invention and epic sprawl of "Birth of a Nation" or "Intolerance" or "Way Down East" but it remains one of the most honest and beautiful films I have ever seen.

A work of art you don't want to miss.