''Ramona'' is a 1916 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

Donald Crisp Donald William Crisp (27 July 188225 May 1974) was an English film actor as well as an early producer, director and screenwriter. His career lasted from the early silent film era into the 1960s. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor ...

based on

Helen Hunt Jackson Helen Hunt Jackson (pen name, H.H.; born Helen Maria Fiske; October 15, 1830 – August 12, 1885) was an American poet and writer who became an activist on behalf of improved treatment of Native Americans by the United States government. She de ...

's 1884 novel ''

Ramona ''Ramona'' is a 1884 American novel written by Helen Hunt Jackson. Set in Southern California after the Mexican–American War, it portrays the life of a mixed-race Scottish– Native American orphan girl, who suffers racial discrimination and ...

''. The film's runtime is about three hours and is considered to be

lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography * Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland *Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

with only

reel A reel is an object around which a length of another material (usually long and flexible) is wound for storage (usually hose are wound around a reel). Generally a reel has a cylindrical core (known as a '' spool'') with flanges around the ends ...

5 preserved at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...

Plot

The film opens to a ceremony occurring in Santa Barbara, California. Ramona Gonzaga (the title character's mother), a Native American woman, and Angus Phail (Richard Sterling), a white man, are getting married. Soon after their marriage, a half-Indian, half-White girl named Ramona (

Mabel Van Buren Mabel Van Buren (born Mabel Brown Southard; July 17, 1878 – November 4, 1947) was an American stage and screen actress. Biography As a theatrical performer she played the leading lady in both ''The Virginian'' and ''The Squaw Man'' (190 ...

) is born. Meanwhile, in another part of America, the film depicts land-hungry white settlers driving off Native Americans from their lands to occupy them. The film cuts to Ramona (

Ann Dvorak Ann Dvorak (born Anna McKim; August 2, 1911 – December 10, 1979) was an American stage and film actress. Asked how to pronounce her adopted surname, she told ''The Literary Digest'' in 1936: "My fake name is properly pronounced ''vor'shack ...

) growing up as a child, dearly loved by her mother. In this phase of Ramona's life, her mother passes away and gives Ramona to the care of Senora Moreno (Lurline Lyons) before her death. Ramona grows up in Senora Moreno's household with Felipe, Senora Moreno's son. As Ramona (

Adda Gleason Adda Gleason (December 19, 1888 – February 6, 1971) was an American actress and writer. On Broadway, Gleason portrayed Charlotte in ''The Dust Heap'' (1924). Gleason was born in Chicago, Illinois. She starred in the 1916 film adaptation o ...

) becomes a young woman, she becomes very beautiful with hair like her mother's, and eyes like her father's. She begins a relationship with Felipe (

Nigel De Brulier Nigel De Brulier (born Francis George Packer; 8 August 1877 – 30 January 1948) was an English stage and film actor who began his career in the United Kingdom before relocating to the United States. Biography De Brulier was born in Frenchay, a ...

). One day, Ramona sees a young Indian man named Alessandro (

Monroe Salisbury Monroe Salisbury (May 8, 1876 – August 7, 1935) was an American actor. He appeared on the stage for several years and then became an early film star. Salisbury was a matinee idol. He began his acting career on the stage in 1898, appearing ...

), son of an Indian chief, playing the violin and meets him. They immediately fall in love with each other, but are discovered by Senora Moreno, who forbids them from seeing each other and locks Ramona in her room. Alessandro goes back to his village, to find it burned down by white settlers. Despite his loss, he isn't too hurt by it due to his newfound love for Ramona. He goes back to Ramona's village and leaves with her. They get married in secret by Father Salvierderra (Martin Best) and move to the little settlement of San Pasqual, where they are able to live in peace for a while. The film shows the white settlers moving closer and closer to San Pasqual, threatening the peace and quiet of Ramona's life. With this danger imminent, Ramona moves into the mountains with her family, which now consists of Alessandro, their young child, and a dog. While venturing in the mountains, Ramona and her family face many hardships, including a blizzard. However, they finally find a shelter. Driven mad by the hardships his family has had to endure due to encroaching white settlers, Alessandro confronts a white man on horseback and is killed. Ramona is now alone with her child and her dog. Meanwhile, Felipe leaves his home to search for Ramona. After getting help along the way, Felipe finally finds Ramona and her family and brings them his home. Soon after, Ramona and Felipe get married and have several children, with the oldest of them named Ramona.

Cast

as Ramona *

as Ramona (in the prologue) *

as Ramona (age 4) (credited as Baby Anna Lehr) *

as Alessandro *

as Felipe Moreno (credited as N. de Brullier) * Richard Sterling as Angus Phail * Red Wing as His Wife (credited as Princess Red Wing) * Lurline Lyons as Señora Moreno * Alice Morton Otten as Starlight *

as Jim Farrar (credited as James Needham) *

Alice Davenport Alice Davenport (née Shepphard; February 29, 1864 – June 24, 1936) was an American film actress. She appeared in 140 films between 1911 and 1930. She was born Alice Shepphard in New York City, and died in Los Angeles, California. She ma ...

as Marda (credited as Mrs. H. Davenport) * E. Valencia as Juan Canito * Martin Best as Father Salvierderra (credited as H.M. Best) *

Arthur Tavares Arthur Tavares was an American actor and film editor who was active in Hollywood from the 1910s through the 1930s. Biography Arthur was born in San Francisco to Jayme Tavares and Maria Botelho, both of whom were Portuguese immigrants. During t ...

as Lieutenant Francis Ortegna *

Beatrice Burnham Beatrice Burnham (October 2, 1902 – January 8, 1995) was an American film actress in silent films. Selected filmography * ''Ramona'' (1916) * ''Jack and Jill'' (1917) * ''The Petal on the Current'' (1919) *'' Upstairs'' (1919) * ''Hitchin' P ...

Reception

The ''New York Times'' commended it for "excellent photography, a wealth of picturesque and carefully considered detail, good work by a multitudinous company," but complained that "no very stirring scenario was inspired by the long, uneventful stretches of the novel." The same article praised California as an "attractive and richly varied background for a movie romance" and praised it for its representation of Ramona from infant to child to grown woman.''New York Times''
"''Ramona'' Shown upon the Screen," April 6, 1916
accessed February 14, 2011

References

External links

* * * * {{Authority control 1916 films 1916 drama films 1916 lost films Silent American drama films American silent feature films American black-and-white films Films directed by Donald Crisp Films set in California Films based on Ramona by Helen Hunt Jackson Lost American films Lost drama films 1910s American films 1910s English-language films