The Wind (1928)

A frail young woman from the east moves in with her cousin in the west, where she causes tension within the family and is slowly driven mad.

Director:

Victor Sjöström (as Victor Seastrom)

Writers:

Frances Marion (scenario), Dorothy Scarborough (from the novel by)

Stars:

Lillian Gish, Lars Hanson, Montagu Love

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Lillian Gish	...	Letty
Lars Hanson	...	Lige
Montagu Love	...	Roddy
Dorothy Cumming	...	Cora
Edward Earle	...	Beverly
William Orlamond	...	Sourdough
Carmencita Johnson	...	Cora's Child
Leon Janney	...	Cora's Child (as Laon Ramon)
Billy Kent Schaefer	...	Cora's Child

Storyline

Innocent and naive Letty Mason moves from her Virginia home to Sweet Water on the western prairies to live on the ranch of her cousin Beverly, his wife Cora and their three children. Letty quickly learns how inhospitable the environment in Sweet Water is, the most obvious item being the incessant wind. But equally inhospitable are the unrefined way the people in Sweet Water live to which she is unaccustomed, and Cora, who believes Letty has come to steal Beverly away from her. As such, Cora orders Letty out of her and Bev's house. With no money, Letty is forced to accept one of the marriage proposal she receives, the lesser evil being that from Bev and Cora's ranching neighbor, Lige Hightower, a man who she does not love. Despite a less than harmonious start, Letty, in part due to her isolation as she is more often than not forced to stay inside due to the wind, begins to have affection for Lige, who wants to do right by her, and who promises to send her back to Virginia when he is ...

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Plot Keywords:

sand | storm | marriage | isolation | buried in sand | 

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Taglines:

A TORNADO OF HUMAN EMOTIONS.-prevail in this gripping drama of the cyclone-swept Texan Desert- this emotional story of a girl who did not know of hardships and evil men- of stark drama, soul searing sacrifice and breath-catching romance- See LILLIAN GISH in "THE WIND" (Print Ad- Franklin Times, ((Pukekohe, NZ)) 24 July 1929)

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Thriller | Western

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

While it is popularly believed that the film was made in over 120-degree temperatures, this is not true. The average temperature for the location and season where the movie was filmed is between 90-105 and the record highs are around 115 degrees Fahrenheit.

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Quotes

Letty Mason: -and for a moment I thought they were serious!
Cora: You're goin' to take one of 'em serious! You don't think I ain't seen through your tricks, Miss Sly Boots! You love Beverly-but you'll never get him away from me-he's mine! What's more-you're gettin' out o' our house-and gettin' out quick! I'd like to kill you!

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Silent Classics (1990)

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Soundtracks

Good Night, Irene
Written by Leadbelly
Played at the Shindig (1983 version)

User Reviews

One of Gish's Finest

Lillian Gish's legendary career was nearly as lengthy as her life. Time and time again, she has shown audiences that she was truly one of the finest actresses who ever lived. A perfect example of her power and artistry is in "The Wind".

Miss Gish plays "Letty", a young girl from Virginia who moves to her cousin's house on the wild, open plains of Texas. The plot is very interesting and very fluid. Miss Gish is wonderful as usual (the sequence of events at the end of the movie is among the finest performances on film) but the real star of the movie is Swedish heartthrob Lars Hanson. A real delightful performance, with real charisma.

A must-see film that deserves more recognition.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

None English

Release Date:

23 November 1928 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Wind

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

79 min (TCM print)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1