''Kindred of the Dust'' is a 1922 American silent

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by Raoul Walsh, and starring his wife

Miriam Cooper Miriam Cooper (born Marian Cooper; November 7, 1891 – April 12, 1976) was a silent film actress who is best known for her work in early film including ''The Birth of a Nation'' and '' Intolerance'' for D. W. Griffith and ''The Honor System'' a ...

. It was based upon the novel of the same name by Peter B. Kyne. The film was the last independent picture for Walsh's production company, and the last film he and Cooper would make together. Today it is one of Walsh's earliest surviving features, and is one of only two non- D. W. Griffith features of Cooper's that still is known to survive.

Plot

As described in a

film magazine Film periodicals combine discussion of individual films, genres and directors with in-depth considerations of the medium and the conditions of its production and reception. Their articles contrast with film reviewing in newspapers and magazines whi ...

, upon discovering that her husband is a

bigamist In cultures where monogamy is mandated, bigamy is the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another. A legal or de facto separation of the couple does not alter their marital status as married persons. I ...

with a son, Nan (Cooper) goes back with her infant son to her father. She of course is ostracized by the local church people. When Donald McKaye (Graves) returns from college, he is the first to give her sympathy and understanding. Young McKaye loves Nan and wants to marry her, but his father, The

Laird Laird () is the owner of a large, long-established Scottish estate. In the traditional Scottish order of precedence, a laird ranked below a baron and above a gentleman. This rank was held only by those lairds holding official recognition in ...

of Tyee (Belmore), has other more ambitious plans for his son and his mother and sisters resent the idea of the mother of a nameless child becoming the wife of the McKaye heir. Nan is ready to give him up, and when Donald yields to his father's wishes and goes to a mountain hut to think it over, she slips away. Donald falls victim to a fever and is taken to a hospital. After resorting to everything else, the mother swallows her pride and sends for Nan, for whom Donald calls constantly. Her presence restores him. The family gives her a cold "thank you" which drives Donald to the final break with his father. He marries Nan and is disinherited. The old Laird refuses to soften, even when, after the man falls into the river from a motor boat headed for the logging camp when a huge log comes down the chute and hits it, the son plunging into the river and saves the father's life. Reconciliation finally comes after a son is born to Donald and Nan.

Cast

as Nan of the Sawdust Pile * Ralph Graves as Donald McKaye *

Lionel Belmore Lionel Belmore (12 May 1867 – 30 January 1953) was an English character actor and director on stage for more than a quarter of a century. Life and career Onstage, Belmore appeared with Wilson Barrett, Sir Henry Irving, William Faversham, ...

as The Laird of Tyee *

Eugenie Besserer Eugenie Besserer ( – May 29, 1934) was an American actress who starred in silent films and features of the early sound motion-picture era, beginning in 1910. Her most prominent role is that of the title character's mother in the first talkie ...

as Mrs. McKaye *Maryland Morne as Jane McKaye *Elizabeth Waters as Elizabeth McKaye *William J. Ferguson as Mr. Daney *Caroline Rankin as Mrs. Daney *Patrick Rooney as Dirty' Dann OLeary *John Herdman as Caleb Brent * Bruce Guerin as Little Donald

Production

During filming Cooper accidentally gazed into a stage light causing her permanent eye damage that lasted until the end of her life. The film ended up being Walsh's final independent production and was the last time Cooper and Walsh (who had made several films together) worked together. The film was one of Cooper's last films as she retired in 1923.

Release

The film was released on February 27, 1922. Cooper felt it was mediocre but the film performed decently at the box office. The film still exists and was restored in 2004, is one of the few films from Walsh's early years to survive, and is also one of only two surviving films from Cooper's starring years. The film has been screened at a few film festivals since its restoration but has not been released for

home video Home video is prerecorded media sold or rented for home viewing. The term originates from the VHS and Betamax era, when the predominant medium was videotapes, but has carried over to optical disc formats such as DVD, Blu-ray and streaming me ...

References

External links

* * *
Progressive Silent Film List: ''Kindred of the Dust''
at silentera.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Kindred Of The Dust American silent feature films 1922 films American black-and-white films Films directed by Raoul Walsh First National Pictures films Surviving American silent films 1920s American films