The Wishing Ring: An Idyll of Old England (1914)

After being expelled from college, Giles runs away from home and meets a young lady who he falls for.

Director:

Maurice Tourneur

Writers:

Owen Davis (play), Maurice Tourneur (scenario)

Stars:

Vivian Martin, Alec B. Francis, Chester Barnett

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview:
Vivian Martin	...	Sally, The Parson's Daughter
Alec B. Francis	...	The Earl Of Bateson
Chester Barnett	...	The Earl's Son, Giles
Gyp Williams	...	The Orphan
Simeon Wiltsie	...	The Parson
Walter Morton	...	Mr. Annesley
Johnny Hines	...	A Jolly Boy (as John Hines)

Storyline

Giles Bateson is expelled from college for misconduct. His angry father, the Earl, sends him a message: "Never let me see you again until you have earned a half crown and proven yourself worthy of confidence." Giles meets Sally, the parson's daughter, who believes Giles to be the gardener. On a walk, they meet some gypsies, who show Sally a "magical ring." Giles buys it for her, and Sally comes to believe in its power when her wishes -- such as for a new dress and shoes to wear to the Earl's party for the villagers -- come true, although actually Giles is responsible. At the party, Sally accidentally discovers the note from the Earl and realizes who Giles really is. She determines to reconcile father and son, and begins visiting the Earl each day to play chess and distract him from the pain he suffers from gout. The gypsies tell her that she can find an herbal cure at Devil's Cliff, but when Sally doesn't return home, a search party finds her lying unconscious by the herb. The Earl is...

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Plot Keywords:

national film registry | employment | father son relationship | based on play | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 November 1914 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Wishing Ring

Filming Locations:

Fort Lee, New Jersey, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shubert Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

54 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White (tinted) Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

Storytelling

The story is simple: boy meets girl. It's commendably light, however, and the plot is seemingly fortuitous (not to say unpredictable). Well, it is an idyll. Director Maurice Tourneur displays a film vocabulary to rival D.W. Griffith, at least at this point--before "The Birth of a Nation" and "Intolerance". Medium shots, with occasional close-ups, dominate rather than long shots. He uses intertitles sparingly and adopts iris shots from Billy Bitzer. The dolly shot across a dinner table is great.

Actually, Tourneur was a superior storyteller compared to Griffith in respect to a simple story; this film isn't drenched in melodrama and Victorian sentiments. Additionally, I like how it begins on a stage and ends there. The age of feature-length pictures were born via photographed plays by Italian studios and Pathé film d'art, but, soon, the cinematic films by Tourneur, Griffith, Cecil B. DeMille and others, in addition to The Great War, prevailed over the movement to reduce cinema to a travesty of theatre. Yet, "The Wishing Ring" has its problems, as would other early films; for example, there is still the missing wall during indoor shooting and some obvious staging of actors for the camera's view.