The Fear Woman

The Fear Woman
Pauline Frederick
Directed by	John A. Barry
Written by	Izola Forrester (story)
Produced by	Samuel Goldwyn
Starring	Pauline Frederick Milton Sills
Cinematography	Edward Gheller
Production company	Goldwyn Pictures
Distributed by	Goldwyn Distributing Corp.
Release date	June 8, 1919 (1919-06-08)
Running time	50 minutes
Country	United States
Language	Silent (English intertitles)

The Fear Woman is a lost ^[1] 1919 American silent drama film produced and distributed by Goldwyn Pictures and starring Pauline Frederick. ^[2]

Some of the filming took place in Berkeley, California.

Plot

As described in a film magazine, ^[3] because her father warns her that alcoholism is a trait that has been inherited by the Winthrops over four generations, Helen Winthrop (Frederick) breaks her engagement to Robert Craig (Sills) for fear of bringing children into the world that are predisposed to drunkenness. They separate and Helen visits Stella Scarr (Travers), an old friend. When Stella foolishly deceives her husband Sidney (Northrup), Helen shields her and is disgraced. Percy Farwell (Hiers), newly rich, becomes enamored of her, and his mother (Titus) hires Robert to break up their supposed affair. Helen feigns drunkenness at the betrothal dinner and is able to prove Robert's love for her. They then resume their engagement.

Cast

• Pauline Frederick as Helen Winthrop
• Milton Sills as Robert Craig
• Walter Hiers as Percy Farwell
• Emmett King as Harrison Winthrop
• Harry Northrup as Sidney Scarr (credited as Harry S. Northrup)
• Ernest Pasque as Bruce Terhune
• Beverly Travers as Stella Scarr
• Lydia Yeamans Titus as Mrs. Honorah Farwell

Reception

Variety's review was mostly positive, though the reviewer criticized the premise of the story due to the recent ratification of the 18th Amendment, saying; "But with the country gone dry why need the girl fear a heritage of that nature?" ^[4]

Motion Picture News' review was also positive, despite finding the "time-worn pattern of a woman who very nearly sacrifices her good name to permit a friend to emerge from a certain entangling alliance" to be unoriginal. ^[5]

Moving Picture World reviewer Louis Reeves Harrison was mixed in their review, finding that the story became "sidetracked" when it introduced comedic aspects and when Helen becomes involved with Stella. Harrison was complimentary to Pauline Frederick's performance. ^[6]

Linda A. Griffith (Mrs. D.W. Griffith) writing in Film Fun magazine was deeply critical of The Fear Woman. When Helen feigned drunkenness, Griffith said "As she apparently has never been much worried about any such weakness in herself, but only in her power to transmit the curse to the innocent unborn, the Fear Woman’s logic is beyond the normal mind to fathom." ^[7]

References

1. "The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: The Fear Woman". September 5, 2023. Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
2. "The AFI Catalog of Feature Films: The Fear Woman". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
3. "Reviews: The Fear Woman". Exhibitors Herald. 8 (25). New York City: Exhibitors Herald Company: 52. June 14, 1919.
4. Variety. New York: Variety Publishing Co. July 11, 1919. p. 61.
5. Motion Picture News. New York: Motion Picture News, Inc. July 19, 1919. p. 781.
6. The Moving Picture World. New York City: Chalmers Publishing Company. July 19, 1919. p. 417.
7. Film Fun. New York: Leslie-Jones Company. September 1, 1919. p. 9.

External links

• The Fear Woman at IMDb
• Seal, John, "The Fear Woman: Made in Berkeley, but where?", Burkeleyside Oct. 25, 2011 (film still)