''The Barbarian'' is a 1920 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 ...

and starring

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 ...

and

George Berrell George Berrell (December 16, 1849 – April 20, 1933) was an American actor of both the 19th and early 20th century stage and of the silent film era. He appeared in numerous stage plays as well as more than 50 films over the course of a car ...

. It is based upon a short story by Theodore Seixas Solomons.Progressive Silent Film List: ''The Barbarian''
at silentera.com

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 ...

, Eric (Salisbury) is brought up in the Canadian north woods by his reclusive father Elliott Straive (Berrell), who was a college professor. The boy supplements his immense knowledge of nature with book learning of society and polite customs. A party of ultra-rich people led by James Heatherton (Sherry) arrive and camp on the land, building a tent city for their luxurious convenience. Their object is to obtain possession of the land by means fair or foul. Eric frustrates their plans but falls in love with Floria (Novak), the daughter of the land grabber. The failure of the rich to embarrass Eric using sham etiquette is humorous, and there is a fight between Eric and Mark Brant (Hale), a man from the party who comes closest to being a "heavy" of the film.

Cast

as Eric Straive *

as Elliott Straive * J. Barney Sherry as James Heatherton *

Elinor Hancock Elinor Hancock was an American actress who had a successful career on stage before appearing in many silent films. She was photographed by Alfred Witzell. She appeared in Clara Kimball Young films. Filmography *'' The Spirit of Romance'' (1917) ...

as Mrs. Heatherton *

Jane Novak Jane Novak (born Johana Barbara Novak; January 12, 1896 – February 3, 1990) was an American actress of the silent film era. Background Jane Novak was born Johana Barbara Novak in St. Louis, Missouri to Bohemian immigrant Joseph Jerome Novak a ...

as Floria Heatherton *Anne Cudahy as Sylvia Heatherton *Michael Cudahy as Roswell Heatherton *

Alan Hale, Sr. Alan Hale Sr. (born Rufus Edward Mackahan; February 10, 1892 – January 22, 1950) was an American actor and director. He is best remembered for his many character roles, in particular as a frequent sidekick of Errol Flynn, as well as f ...

as Mark Brant *Milton Markwell as Mainhall *

Lillian Leighton Lillianne Brown Leighton (May 17, 1874 – March 19, 1956), known professionally as Lillian Leighton, was an American silent film actress. Leighton started her career in Chicago. Leighton was born in Auroraville, Wisconsin, on May 17, 187 ...

as Redwing

Production

Much of ''The Barbarian'' was filmed in California's Castle Lake district with

Mount Shasta Mount Shasta ( Shasta: ''Waka-nunee-Tuki-wuki''; Karuk: ''Úytaahkoo'') is a potentially active volcano at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, California. At an elevation of , it is the second-highest peak in the Cascad ...

in the background.

References

External links

* * * * 1920 films 1920 drama films Films directed by Donald Crisp American silent feature films American black-and-white films Silent American drama films Films based on short fiction 1920s American films 1920s English-language films {{silent-drama-film-stub