Way Down East (1920)

A naive country girl is tricked into a sham marriage by a wealthy womanizer, then must rebuild her life despite the taint of having borne a child out of wedlock.

Director:

D.W. Griffith

Writers:

Lottie Blair Parker (from the play by), William A. Brady (play),

Stars:

Lillian Gish, Josephine Bernard, Mrs. Morgan Belmont

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Lillian Gish	...	Anna Moore
Josephine Bernard	...	Mrs. Emma Tremont
Mrs. Morgan Belmont	...	Diana Tremont
Lowell Sherman	...	Lennox Sanderson
Burr McIntosh	...	Squire Bartlett
Richard Barthelmess	...	David Bartlett
Kate Bruce	...	Mrs. Bartlett
George Neville	...	Constable Rube Whipple
Porter Strong	...	Seth Holcomb
Vivia Ogden	...	Martha Perkins
Edgar Nelson	...	Hi Holler
Mary Hay	...	Kate Brewster - the Squire's Niece
Creighton Hale	...	Professor Sterling
Emily Fitzroy	...	Maria Poole - Landlady
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Louise Lawson II	...	Bit Player

Storyline

The callous rich, portrayed by Lennox, think only of their own pleasure. Anna is but a poor country girl whom Lennox tricks into a fake wedding. She believes that it is true, but secret, while he has his way with her. When she is pregnant, he leaves her and she must have the baby, named Trust Lennox, on her own. When the baby dies she wanders until she gets a job with Squire Bartlett. David falls for her, but she rejects him due to her past and then Lennox shows up lusting for Kate. Seeing Anna, he tries to get her to leave, but she doesn't, and she tells no one about his past. When Squire Bartlett learns of her past from Martha, the town gossip, he tosses Anna out in a snow storm. But before she goes, she fingers the respected Lennox, as the father of her dead baby and the spoiler of herself.

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Plot Keywords:

fake wedding | country girl | dead mother | river rescue | last second rescue | 

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Taglines:

A simple story for plain people.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Release Date:

3 September 1920 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mädchenlos

Filming Locations:

Farmington, Connecticut, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$700,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

D.W. Griffith Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

145 min 107 min (1931 re-release) 126 min (Alpha Video)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Norma Shearer has a bit part in one scene. Shearer's mother and sister are extras as well, as is another future luminary of the talkies, Una Merkel.

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Quotes

Anna Moore: This man, an honored guest at your table, why don't you find out what HIS life has been?

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Connections

Featured in The 43rd Annual Academy Awards (1971)

User Reviews

Pretty Good Melodrama Made Memorable By A Tremendous Climax

What would otherwise be a pretty good, if old-fashioned, melodrama is made memorable by a climax that still holds up decades later as one of the most exciting scenes on film. The movie as a whole is imperfect - it's a bit too long, and is occasionally preachy - but it fits together well, and is a deserving classic of the silent film era.

The story is openly moralistic, and would not have worked without good characters and acting. Lillian Gish is deservedly remembered for her role, but Lowell Sherman is also important as the oily Sanderson - his understated performance makes his villainy more effective, and balances out the parts of the movie that are more heavy-handed (the title cards, in particular, leave no doubt as to how the director feels). The story ends up working pretty well in the context of its era.

What really stands out, of course, is its terrific climax on the river, still justifiably praised after all these years. Carefully conceived and beautifully photographed, it is a most effective way to wind up the story. The riveting drama and the stark beauty of the scenery make a great combination that you won't forget.

This would have been even better if it had been maybe 30 minutes shorter. Some scenes go on longer than necessary, and there is a lot of filler material about the townspeople - mildly amusing, and comic relief from a heavy story, but the comedy is not exactly of Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin quality, and a bit less would have been better. Still, the majority of the time the film does keep your attention.

"Way Down East" is a classic in spite of its flaws, one that every silent film fan will want to see. And it also would be worth watching for the climactic sequence alone, for anyone who appreciates quality cinema.