Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysAPA Heritage MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)

Sold for Marriage

  • 19161916
  • PassedPassed
  • 50m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
107
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • IMDbPro
Lillian Gish in Sold for Marriage (1916)
  • Drama
  • Romance
A poor Russian girl's beauty leads her unscrupulous uncle to bring her to the United States. There he is going to sell her into a marriage with a rich old man she has never met. But her love... Read allA poor Russian girl's beauty leads her unscrupulous uncle to bring her to the United States. There he is going to sell her into a marriage with a rich old man she has never met. But her lover, an returning immigrant visiting Russia from the U.S., sails on the same ship. When they... Read allA poor Russian girl's beauty leads her unscrupulous uncle to bring her to the United States. There he is going to sell her into a marriage with a rich old man she has never met. But her lover, an returning immigrant visiting Russia from the U.S., sails on the same ship. When they arrive he learns, to his surprise, that the American police, unlike those of his native c... Read all
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
107
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Christy Cabanne
  • Writer
    • William E. Wing(story and scenario)
  • Stars
    • Lillian Gish
    • Frank Bennett
    • Walter Long
Top credits
  • Director
    • Christy Cabanne
  • Writer
    • William E. Wing(story and scenario)
  • Stars
    • Lillian Gish
    • Frank Bennett
    • Walter Long
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 4User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos16

    Lillian Gish in Sold for Marriage (1916)
    Lillian Gish in Sold for Marriage (1916)
    Lillian Gish in Sold for Marriage (1916)
    Lillian Gish in Sold for Marriage (1916)
    Lillian Gish in Sold for Marriage (1916)
    Lillian Gish in Sold for Marriage (1916)
    Lillian Gish in Sold for Marriage (1916)
    Lillian Gish in Sold for Marriage (1916)
    Lillian Gish in Sold for Marriage (1916)
    Lillian Gish in Sold for Marriage (1916)
    Lillian Gish in Sold for Marriage (1916)
    Lillian Gish, Pearl Elmore, and Walter Long in Sold for Marriage (1916)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Lillian Gish
    Lillian Gish
    • Marfaas Marfa
    Frank Bennett
    • Janas Jan
    Walter Long
    Walter Long
    • Col. Gregioffas Col. Gregioff
    Allan Sears
    • Ivanas Ivan
    Pearl Elmore
    • Annaas Anna
    Curt Rehfeld
    • Dimitrias Dimitri
    • (as Curt Rehfelt)
    William Lowery
    William Lowery
    • Georgeas George
    • (as William E. Lowery)
    Fred Burns
    • A Policemanas A Policeman
    Mike Siebert
    • The Undesirable Suitoras The Undesirable Suitor
    Frank Brownlee
    Frank Brownlee
    • Nicholasas Nicholas
    • Director
      • Christy Cabanne
    • Writer
      • William E. Wing(story and scenario)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Daphne and the Pirate
    5.6
    Daphne and the Pirate
    The Regeneration
    6.8
    The Regeneration
    The Lily and the Rose
    6.9
    The Lily and the Rose

    Storyline

    Edit
    A poor Russian girl's beauty leads her unscrupulous uncle to bring her to the United States. There he is going to sell her into a marriage with a rich old man she has never met. But her lover, an returning immigrant visiting Russia from the U.S., sails on the same ship. When they arrive he learns, to his surprise, that the American police, unlike those of his native country, are not oppressors of the poor, but friends that will aid in securing the release of his beloved Maria. —Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>
    • ship
    • russian girl
    • rich old man
    • marriage
    • immigrant
    • 39 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Genres
      • Drama
      • Romance
    • Certificate
      • Passed
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Connections
      Featured in American Masters: Lillian Gish: The Actor's Life for Me (1988)

    User reviews4

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    Light Gish Vehicle
    "Sold for Marriage" is a breezy little feature starring Lillian Gish. Gish plays a Russian, who's uncle and aunt try to sell her hand in marriage to the wealthiest bachelor, despite Gish being in love with a poor boy. Although the subject matter might sound sensational or melodramatic, the treatment is light and the pacing is fluid. Much of it comes off more as comedy rather than drama. Most of the credit for that must go to Gish. Allan Sears, as her uncle, also gives an amusing performance to what otherwise could have been a melodramatic heavy. The rest of the cast is dull background—seemingly incapable of any comic expressions, or clueless to the tone set by Gish and Sears.

    If not for Gish, this would surely be a completely forgettable picture. This is the first film from the 1910s that I've seen of hers where D.W. Griffith didn't direct, and it's a nice change of pace. Here, she sports dark hair and peasant clothing—ridding herself of the prim, ideal virgin or mistreated heroine doomed to some melodramatic climax (often, an attempted rape) before being rescued at the last minute. She is quite comically deadpan in her facial expressions, but also her entire posture and body language seems different from her roles in melodramas. She slouches, scurries and is generally perkier. For the demonstration of Gish's versatility with this performance alone, from one of the best actresses of the silent era or ever, it was worth seeing "Sold for Marriage".
    helpful•4
    0
    • Cineanalyst
    • Aug 18, 2009

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 16, 1916 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • None
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Marfa of Russia
    • Production company
      • Fine Arts Film Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      50 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Silent
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The Best Movies and Shows to Watch in May
    See the full list
    Image caption not available
    2:14
    The Most Anticipated Movies and Shows to Watch in May
    Watch the video

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.