|
The Bar Sinister
(1917) United States of America
B&W : Eight reels
Directed by Edgar Lewis
Cast: Preston Rollow [Colonel George Stilliter], Mary Doyle [Annabel], William Anderson [Sam Davis], Florence St. Leonard [Lindy], Hedda Nova [Belle Davis], Mitchell Lewis [Ben Swift], Frank Reilly [Big Tom], George Dangerfield [Luke Waller], J.R. Chamberlin (Ray Chamberlin) [Nick Benson], Victor Sutherland [Page Warren], Jules Cowles [Buck], W.J. Gross (William J. Gross), William A. Williams, Mack V. Wright
Edgar Lewis Productions, Incorporated, production; distributed on State Rights basis by Abrams & Werner [Edgar Lewis Production]. / Scenario by Anthony P. Kelly (Anthony Paul Kelly). Cinematography by Edward C. Earle. Musical accompaniment by Fredrick O. Hanks and Sol Levy. Presented by Frank G. Hall. / Private screening, 18 April 1917 in New York, New York. Released April 1917. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format. / The first production from Lewis’ company.
Drama: Social.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? Stolen when a baby by a mulatto woman, who becomes a half-crazed witch, and raises her to beautiful womanhood with the belief that she is her own daughter, Belle cannot bring herself to mix with her race and accept the attentions of a noble character in the person of Ben Swift, in whose veins the blood of the red, white and black races are mixed. A handsome white stranger. Page Warren, from the North, who believes her a white girl, falls in love with her. She returns his love while at the same time hiding the fact that she is the negro witch, Lindy’s, daughter. Page incurs the hatred of the bad element among the blacks, while failing to appreciate that there is also a good element among whom are men and women as noble as any of his white companions. He incurs the hatred of Ben Swift, who misinterpreted his attentions to Belle, and resents the mixing of the races, not knowing that Belle has not disclosed her identity to Page. The attacking of Page by a gang of bad blacks, following his fight with one of their leaders, his rescue by Ben Swift, who has learned of Belle's love for the white man. the discovery by Page that Belle is a mulatto, the sensational disclosure of the fact that she is the last daughter of a prominent Southern family, the death of Ben Swift while defending Page and Belle from an enraged mob and the beautiful handling of the subject of the spiritual equality of men makes “The Bar Sinister” an intensely interesting drama with a powerful appeal to all classes.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Keywords: African-Americans - Racism
Listing updated: 12 December 2024.
References: Website-AFI; Website-IMDb.
|
