Movie Monday: The Lonely Villa 1909
One-hundred and ten years ago, today (exactly, believe it or not), the silent short crime-drama, The Lonely Villa, was released. A film directed by D. W. Griffith, it starred David Miles, Marion Leonard, Mary Pickford (in one of her very early roles), Gladys Egan and Adele DeGarde and, was based on the Andre de Lorde French play from 1901: Au Téléphone.
D. W. Griffith and Mary Pickford, along with Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks, founded United Artists on February 5, 1919, as a studio where actors could control their own interests instead of being beholden to commercial studios. It is now a subsidiary of MGM and Annapurna Pictures and, as of February 5, 2019 (its 100th anniversary), it was rebranded as United Artists Releasing.
From IMDB:
A gang of thieves lure a man out of his home so that they can rob it and, threaten his wife and children. The family barricade themselves in an interior room but, the criminals are well-equipped for breaking in. When the father finds out what is happening, he must race against time to get back home.
Trivia Bit
♦ During the shot of the father leaving the hotel, a dip can be seen in the road in the background. Today, that is currently the exit for the George Washington Bridge and the location of the hotel is now an apartment complex.
June 11, 2019 at 3:21 AM
I liked watching that bit of film history
June 11, 2019 at 2:26 PM
United Artists was a great concept at the time. It took some power away from the moguls because they were trying to stop “making stars” because of the salary demands…but now it’s just another company.
June 11, 2019 at 2:37 PM
It’s been bought & sold so many times, it’s surprising that it even still exists.
June 12, 2019 at 4:34 PM
Yes, I watched the movie! And I giggled a few times with the dramatics, beings it’s a silent film. The ‘luring’ thief’s actions while serving the note was hilarious. 🙂
June 12, 2019 at 5:27 PM
Yeah. Without dialog, facial expressions are exaggerated to get points across.