The Scarlet Letter (1926)

Director:

Victor Sjöström

Writers:

Nathaniel Hawthorne (novel)
Frances Marion (adaptation)

Release Date:

8 January 1927 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Plot:

In Puritan Boston, seamstress Hester Prynne is punished for playing on the Sabbath day; but kindly minister Arthur Dimmesdale takes pity on her...

Plot Keywords:

Seamstress | Adultery | Minister | Love | Church

Cast

Lillian Gish	...	Hester Prynne
Lars Hanson	...	The Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale
Henry B. Walthall	...	Roger Chillingworth
Karl Dane	...	Master Giles
William H. Tooker	...	The Governor
Marcelle Corday	...	Mistress Hibbins
Fred Herzog	...	The Jailer
Jules Cowles	...	The Beadle
Mary Hawes	...	Patience
Joyce Coad	...	Pearl
James A. Marcus	...	A Sea Captain

Runtime:

Sweden:115 min | 98 min (2000 restored version)

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Filming Locations:

Iverson Ranch, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Lillian Gish learned that her mother had had a stroke in London and her sister, Dorothy Gish, urged her to get there on the first available boat. When Lillian informed director Victor Sjöström of the need to finish the film quickly, he created a shooting schedule that crammed two weeks worth of shooting into three days of non-stop work. The crew worked without complaint so that she could finish the film early and catch the earliest possible train to New York.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "MGM: When the Lion Roars" (1992)

Anyone who considers silent film-making inferior to sound film-making needs to watch this film.

I watched this 1926 silent version and the 1934 sound version back to back, projected in a theater. The 1926 version was not only a more artfully shot film, but the depth of the characters and their relationships were immeasurably better. The story structure and additional focus on the developing relationship between Hester Prynne and Reverend Dimmesdale created enormous empathy, and the introduction of Roger Chillingworth was absolutely haunting and palpable. The 1934 sound version was deflated and unemotional by comparison. The 1926 film is very well cast, solidly structured, skillfully directed, and beautifully shot. The film's final scene will leave one almost breathless and wondering what will happen next in the lives of these settlers. It perfectly wraps this must see example of masterful storytelling. Anyone who considers silent film-making inferior to sound film-making needs to watch this film. You may be enlightened.