The Barrier is a 1926 American silent adventure film produced and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and directed by George Hill.[1] The film stars Lionel Barrymore and Marceline Day and is based on the 1908 wilderness novel of the same name by Rex Beach. Previous versions of the novel had been filmed in 1913 and 1917 respectively. This film is the last silent version to be filmed.[2] The Barrier is a lost film.[3][4]
| The Barrier | |
|---|---|
 French film poster | |
| Directed by | George W. Hill |
| Written by | Harvey Gates |
| Based on | The Barrier by Rex Beach |
| Starring | Lionel Barrymore Marceline Day Henry B. Walthall |
| Cinematography | Max Fabian Ira H. Morgan |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
|
Running time | 70 mins. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
Plot
editAs described in a film magazine review,[5] during the Alaskan gold rush days, a baby girl is rescued from Stark Bennett, a brutal father, by kindly seaman Gale Gaylord, when her mother, a full-blooded Indian, dies aboard ship. Necia is brought up unaware of her half-Indian parentage until she is about to wed Meade Burrell, an American Army officer. The discovery causes her to decide to return to her father. After she does so, she is saved from her worthless parent by her lover, whose loyalty finally induces her to marry him.
Cast
edit- Lionel Barrymore as Stark Bennett
- Marceline Day as Necia
- Norman Kerry as Meade Burrell
- Henry B. Walthall as Gale Gaylord
- George Cooper as Sergeant Murphy
- Bert Woodruff as No Creek Lee
- Neola May as Alluna
- Mario Carillo as Poleon
- Pat Harmon as First Mate
- Shannon Day as Necia's Indian Mother
Premiere
editThe film’s “world premiere” took place at the West Coast Theatre in San Bernardino, California, on Sunday February 28, 1926, with four showings that day, where it was seen by “thousands.” Subsequent weekday showings were presented twice each evening. A young Ginger Rogers’ vaudeville act was also featured.[6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Detail view of Movies Page". afi.com. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017.(Wayback)
- ^ White Munden, Kenneth, ed. (1997). The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States: Feature Films, 1921-1930. University of California Press. p. 40. ISBN 0-520-20969-9.
- ^ "The Barrier Lost Film Files - MGM 1926".
- ^ "The Barrier / George Hill [motion picture]:Bibliographic Record Description: Performing Arts Encyclopedia, Library of Congress". loc.gov. 1926.
- ^ Pardy, George T. (April 3, 1926), "Pre-Release Review of Features: The Barrier", Motion Picture News, 33 (14), New York City, New York: Motion Picture News, Inc.: 1522, retrieved April 14, 2023
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Staff, “World Premiere of Picture Viewed by Thousands Here - 'The Barrier' Voted Mighty Spectacle, Vaudeville Fine,” The San Bernardino Daily Sun, San Bernardino, California, Monday March 1, 1926, Volume LVIII, Number 1, page 6.
External links
edit
- The Barrier at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- The Barrier at IMDb
- French lobby poster
- Dust jacket book cover
- Lantern slide(archived)
- Still portrait(archived)
- Silent Hall of Fame collection of period reviews of the film
- Still at www.silentfilmstillarchive.com
- Stills at silenthollywood.com
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