Tol'able David (1921)

Director:

Henry King

Writers:

Joseph Hergesheimer (novel) and
Edmund Goulding (writer)

Release Date:

31 December 1921 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

Shooting | Death | Assault | Americana | Animal Killing

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Richard Barthelmess	...	David Kinemon
Gladys Hulette	...	Esther Hatburn
Walter P. Lewis	...	Iscah Hatburn
Ernest Torrence	...	Luke Hatburn
Ralph Yearsley	...	Saul 'Little Buzzard' Hatburn
Forrest Robinson	...	Grandpa Hatburn
Laurence Eddinger	...	Sen. John Gault
Edmund Gurney	...	Hunter Kinemon
Warner Richmond	...	Allen Kinemon
Marion Abbott	...	Mother Kinemon
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Patterson Dial	...	Rose Kinemon
Henry Hallam	...	The doctor
Lassie	...	Herself (a dog)

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

Portugal:17 (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Blue Grass, Virginia, USA

Company:

Inspiration Pictures

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Screen Snapshots Series 25, No. 1: 25th Anniversary (1945)

Not for Everyone

I've seen this silent film thrice now, and its flaws seem more apparent to me with each subsequent viewing. 'Tol'able David' is a sappy, idyllic melodrama about the simplicity of rural life and a boy on the verge of manhood (Richard Barthelmess), who is emasculated by everyone and whose dream is to drive the mail hack. The influence of D.W. Griffith is readily apparent, and Griffith, in fact, was first offered to adapt the novel, but he chose to make 'Orphans of the Storm' instead, and Barthelmess ('Broken Blossoms,' 'Way Down East') left Griffith's company amicably and gave Henry King his big opportunity. The result is a film much in imitation (or at least in the style) of the kind of pictures Griffith made in between his grand epics--films like 'True Heart Susie,' for instance.

For my second viewing of 'Tol'able David,' I sat in on a film class screening. I was annoyed when during the film's climax the students burst out in uproarious laughter. I suppose that's common for those uninitiated in appreciating silent films, except for the comedies, for which many presumably mistake all silent films to be. But, my point is that 'Tol'able David' isn't for everyone. Even those who appreciate silent films and cinéma in general might consider this film flawed, perhaps even ridiculous. I do to an extent.

It is a sappy melodrama, predictable and contrived, with a hokey story-line about mail delivery heroics (which reminds me of the awful Kevin Costner movie 'The Postman'). One intertitle reads "he must deliver the mail." Nevertheless, its sentiment and the excellent montage in its finale continues to affect me. I've never forgotten even the small moments, such as the comedy bit involving a barrel and Barthelmess' pants, or when the mother dives in the mud to stop her son from revenging their family. As well, the villains are very typical, but I still think the tall Ernest Torrence is effective. There's been numerous melodramas like it, and I've been bored with many, but, perhaps for its age or complete simplicity, this one worked on me.