Blind Husbands (1919)

An Austrian officer sets out to seduce a neglected young wife.

Director:

Erich von Stroheim (as Erich Stroheim)

Writers:

Erich von Stroheim (book) (as Erich Stroheim), Erich von Stroheim (adaption) (as Erich Stroheim)

Stars:

Sam De Grasse, Francelia Billington, Erich von Stroheim

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Sam De Grasse	...	The Husband, Dr. Robert Armstrong
Francelia Billington	...	The Wife, Margaret Armstrong
Erich von Stroheim	...	The Other Man, Lt. Erich von Steuben
Gibson Gowland	...	The Mountain Guide, Sepp Innerkofler (as T.H. Gibson Gowland)
Fay Holderness	...	The 'Vamp' Waitress
Ruby Kendrick	...	A Village Blossom
Valerie Germonprez	...	Honeymooner
Jack Perrin	...	Honeymooner
Richard Cummings	...	The Village Physician
Louis Fitzroy	...	The Village Priest
William De Vaull	...	Man from 'Home'
Jack Mathis	...	Man from 'Home'
Percy Challenger	...	Man from 'Home'

Storyline

An Austrian military officer and roue' attempts to seduce the wife of a surgeon. The two men confront each other in a test of abilities that ends surprisingly.

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Plot Keywords:

rescue | philanderer | mountain | mountain climbing | husband wife relationship | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA Austria

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 December 1919 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Pinnacle

Filming Locations:

Südtirol, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

$42,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,000,000, 1 December 1919

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Film Manufacturing Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min 99 min 99 min 99 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White (color toned)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The studio insisted on cutting the film instead of letting Erich von Stroheim do it as he was deemed to be too unstable after allegedly killing a dog during production. Von Stroheim would ensure they didn't do this to him on his next film The Devil's Passkey (1920) by barricading himself into the editing suite with a loaded Winchester.

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Goofs

In one shot, when the wife walks across her bedroom, a spotlight beam is visible on the ground following her.

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Connections

Featured in The Story of Film: An Odyssey: The Hollywood Dream (2011)

User Reviews

Restraint

The story is simple and unoriginal: a love triangle, plus man's determination to conquer nature. But, this early effort by director Erich von Stroheim displays great restraint, especially for a filmmaker who would become notorious for excess. His films, such as "Greed" (1924), are better known for their production and post-production histories than for their actual merits. He would shoot an excessive amount of footage for films of extraordinary length, which the producers then butchered. That's not the case with "Blind Husbands", though; this one has a normal runtime.

It also features the familiar Stroheim touches on a smaller scale. The acting is rather subtile. Stroheim introduces his typical role as a villainous Teutonic womanizer, with a scar, a monocle and a history of military service--"the man you love to hate". Here, he's the other man. Furthermore, the mise-en-scène takes precedence over camera movement or editing. The décor is detailed and occasionally allegorical to the melodrama. Attention to lighting is also evident. "Blind Husbands" is sensational and too contrived and ruminant at times, but, for the most part, the simple story is harmonious with the restrained, yet detailed, film-making.