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A Corner in Wheat (1909)

G | | Short, Crime, Drama | 13 December 1909 (USA)
A Corner in Wheat Poster
An unscrupulous and greedy capitalist speculator decides to corner the wheat market for his own profit, establishing complete control over the markets.

Director:

D.W. Griffith

Stars:

Frank Powell, Grace Henderson, James Kirkwood | See full cast & crew »
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Cast

Cast overview:
Frank Powell ... The Wheat King
Grace Henderson Grace Henderson ... The Wheat King's Wife
James Kirkwood ... The Farmer
Linda Arvidson ... The Farmer's Wife
W. Chrystie Miller ... The Farmer's Father
Gladys Egan ... The Farmer's Little Daughter
Henry B. Walthall ... The Wheat King's Assistant
See full cast »
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Storyline

A greedy tycoon decides, on a whim, to corner the world market in wheat. This doubles the price of bread, forcing the grain's producers into charity lines and further into poverty. The film continues to contrast the ironic differences between the lives of those who work to grow the wheat and the life of the man who dabbles in its sale for profit. Written by James Meek <james@oz.net>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

market | wheat | farmer | bread | loaf of bread | See All (16) »

Genres:

Short | Crime | Drama

Certificate:

G | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 December 1909 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

A gabonatőzsde spekulánsai See more »

Filming Locations:

Biograph Studio, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Biograph Company See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The scene in which the farmer sows his seeds is an animated reproduction of Jean-Francois Millet's famous painting "The Sower". See more »

Goofs

When the Wheat King reads the letter regarding his increase in wealth, he is wearing gloves. After he falls into the wheat pit, there is an un-gloved hand reaching for the heavens; however, when they pull him out, he is once again wearing gloves. See more »

Connections

Featured in To Boldly Flee (2012) See more »

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User Reviews

Some Good Techniques For Its Time
18 September 2001 | by Snow Leopard – See all my reviews

For the cinematic limitations of its time, there are some good techniques in this short drama. The story, which is about a ruthless man trying to control the wheat market, is interesting though often heavy-handed - but it's the way it is filmed that makes it of interest. The actual story is preceded by a look at farmers growing wheat, and it includes a nicely planned shot of the sowers going back and forth, in a way that cleverly gets around the fixed camera limitations of the time. The main story shows good technique as well, using well-conceived cross-cutting to emphasize the differences between the world of those who rely on the wheat and the world of those who profit from it. It has an effective closing shot, too. It's pretty good drama and an interesting example of how these very old films were made.
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