Tol'able David

Last updated

Tol'able David
Tol'able David-Poster.JPG
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Henry King
Written by
Based on"Tol'able David" (1917)
by Joseph Hergesheimer
Produced byHenry King
Starring
Cinematography Henry Cronjager
Edited by W. Duncan Mansfield
Production
company
Inspiration Pictures
Distributed by Associated First National
Release date
  • November 21, 1921 (1921-11-21)(U.S.) [1]
Running time
99 minutes
CountryUnited States
Language Silent (English intertitles)
Tol'able David.

Tol'able David is a 1921 American silent film based on the 1917 Joseph Hergesheimer short story of the same name. It was adapted to the screen by Edmund Goulding and directed by Henry King for Inspiration Pictures. A rustic tale of violence set in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, it was filmed in Blue Grass, Virginia, with some locals featured in minor roles. [2]

Contents

A major box office success, the acclaimed film was voted the 1921 Photoplay Magazine Medal of Honor [3] and is seen by critics and film historians as one of the classics of silent film. It was selected in 2007 for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress; films selected are judged to be "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". [4] [5] [6]

Synopsis

David Kinemon, youngest son of West Virginia tenant farmers, longs to be treated like a man by his family and neighbors, especially Esther Hatburn, the pretty girl who lives with her grandfather on a nearby farm. However, he is continually reminded that he is still a boy, "tol'able" enough, but no man.

David eventually gets a chance to prove himself when outlaw Iscah Hatburn and his sons Luke and "Little Buzzard", distant cousins of the Kinemons' Hatburn neighbors, move into the Hatburn farm, against the will of Esther and her grandfather. Esther initially tells David not to interfere, saying he is no match for her cousins. Later, the cousins kill David's pet dog and cripple his older brother while the latter is delivering mail and taking passengers to town in his Hackney carriage. Out of a sense of honor, David's father intends to visit vigilante justice on the Hatburns' cousins rather than rely on the local sheriff, but is prevented by an abrupt and fatal heart attack. David is determined to go after the Hatburns in his father's place, but his mother pleads with him, arguing that he will surely die and that with his father dead and brother crippled, the household, including his brother's wife and infant son, depends on him.

The now fatherless Kinemon family is turned out of the farm and is forced to move into a small house in town. David asks for his brother's old job of driving the hack, but is told he is too young. However, he finds work at the general store. Later, when the hack's regular driver is fired for drunkenness, David finally has a chance to drive the hack. He loses the mailbag near the Hatburn farm, where it is found by Luke. David goes to the Hatburn farm to demand the mailbag. He is refused and gets into an argument with the cousins, during which he is shot in the arm. David then shoots Iscah and the younger son and later, after a prolonged fight with the older brother (meant to recall the story of David and Goliath), emerges victorious. Esther flees for help and makes it to the village, telling that David has been killed. As a crowd prepares to go look for David, he arrives in the hack with the bag of mail, badly injured, and collapses. It is clear to all that David, no longer merely "tol'able", is a real man and a hero.

Cast

Production

Director King had been born and raised not far away in rural western Virginia and took immense pleasure in scouting locations in preparation for the film. [7]

Joseph Hergesheimer's short story had been optioned by D.W. Griffith who intended Barthelmess as the star of a film version, but when Barthelmess and King formed Inspiration Pictures, Griffith traded them the rights for other properties. [8]

Reception

Released in December 1921, Tol'able David was both a commercial and critical success. Carl Sandburg, reviewing the picture for the Chicago Daily News , repeatedly referred to it as a masterpiece. [9] In Life, Robert E. Sherwood wrote "It is the first motion picture to achieve real greatness without placing any reliance on spectacular effect." [10]

Trade-related publications widely recommended it. In Photoplay it was called a masterpiece again and "one of the few film tragedies of uncompromising power". [11] Variety wrote that Barthelmess' performance came "close to being the best effort he has ever made". [12] The review in Motion Picture News gave the opinion that there would be "few who will not feel the power of it". [13] The Exhibitors Herald found it "a superb piece of cinema craftsmanship" and "excellent throughout". [14]

In a 1924 interview for Photoplay, Mary Pickford named it among her favorite films, saying "When I first saw this picture, I felt I was not looking at a photoplay but was really witnessing the tragedy of a family I had known all my life." [15] It influenced Russian director V.I. Pudovkin who used it as an exemplar in his writing. [16]

In 1963, John Ford named Tol'able David in his top 10 of favorite films. [17]

In his 2008 book "Have You Seen...?": A Personal Introduction to 1,000 Films, film critic David Thomson assesses Tol'able David as "one of the most spectacular and heartfelt identifications with countryside ever managed onscreen". The cinematography "delivered countless views of country life as a version of heaven", while '"the fight is grand, prolonged, and not one to bet on". He finds its influence "in just about every [subsequent] film where revenge has rectitude" — mentioning, especially, High Noon and Straw Dogs . [18]

Other adaptations

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Barthelmess</span> American actor (1895–1963)

Richard Semler Barthelmess was an American film actor, principally of the Hollywood silent era. He starred opposite Lillian Gish in D. W. Griffith's Broken Blossoms (1919) and Way Down East (1920) and was among the founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1927. The following year, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for two films: The Patent Leather Kid and The Noose.

<i>Safety Last!</i> 1923 American silent romantic comedy film

Safety Last! is a 1923 American silent romantic-comedy film starring Harold Lloyd. It includes one of the most famous images from the silent-film era: Lloyd clutching the hands of a large clock as he dangles from the outside of a skyscraper above moving traffic. The film was highly successful and critically hailed, and it cemented Lloyd's status as a major figure in early motion pictures. It is still popular at revivals, and it is viewed today as one of the great film comedies.

<i>Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ</i> (1925 film) 1925 film by Fred Niblo

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ is a 1925 American silent epic adventure-drama film directed by Fred Niblo and written by June Mathis based on the 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by General Lew Wallace. Starring Ramon Novarro as the title character, the film is the first feature-length adaptation of the novel and second overall, following the 1907 short.

<i>The Kid</i> (1921 film) 1921 silent film

The Kid is a 1921 American silent comedy-drama film written, produced, directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin, and features Jackie Coogan as his foundling baby, adopted son and sidekick. This was Chaplin's first full-length film as a director. It was a huge success and was the second-highest-grossing film in 1921. Now considered one of the greatest films of the silent era, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Hergesheimer</span> American novelist

Joseph Hergesheimer was an American writer of the early 20th century known for his naturalistic novels of decadent life amongst the very wealthy.

<i>The Son of the Sheik</i> 1926 film by George Fitzmaurice

The Son of the Sheik is a 1926 American silent adventure drama film directed by George Fitzmaurice and starring Rudolph Valentino and Vilma Bánky. The film is based on the 1925 romance novel The Sons of the Sheik by Edith Maude Hull, and is a sequel to the 1921 hit film The Sheik, which also stars Rudolph Valentino. The Son of the Sheik is Valentino's final film and went into general release nearly two weeks after his death from peritonitis at the age of 31.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernest Torrence</span> Scottish actor

Ernest Torrence was a Scottish film character actor who appeared in many Hollywood films, including Broken Chains (1922) with Colleen Moore, Mantrap (1926) with Clara Bow and Fighting Caravans (1931) with Gary Cooper and Lili Damita. A towering figure, Torrence frequently played cold-eyed and imposing villains.

Ralph Yearsley was a British-born character actor who worked in Hollywood films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Schoenbaum</span> American cinematographer

Charles Edgar Schoenbaum A. S. C. was an American cinematographer. His known film credits began in 1917--although he probably had earlier films--and ended with his untimely death from cancer in 1951. He was nominated for an Academy Award in 1949 for his work on Little Women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gladys Hulette</span> American actress

Gladys Hulette was an American silent film actress from Arcade, New York, United States. Her career began in the early years of silent movies and continued until the mid-1930s. She first performed on stage at the age of three and on screen when she was seven years old. Hulette was also a talented artist. Her mother was an opera star.

<i>Anna Christie</i> (1923 film) 1923 film

Anna Christie is a 1923 American silent drama film based on the 1921 play by Eugene O'Neill and starring Blanche Sweet and William Russell.

<i>The Love Light</i> 1921 film directed by Frances Marion

The Love Light is a 1921 American silent drama film starring Mary Pickford. The film was written and directed by Frances Marion. Pickford selected the story as she wanted to play an adult and not another adolescent role.

<i>Experience</i> (1921 film) 1921 film by George Fitzmaurice

Experience is a 1921 American silent morality drama film produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The allegorical film was directed by George Fitzmaurice and starred Richard Barthelmess. It was based on George V. Hobart's successful 1914 Broadway play of the same name. It was the film debut of Lilyan Tashman.

The Enchanted Cottage is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by John S. Robertson based upon a 1923 play by Arthur Wing Pinero.

<i>Soul-Fire</i> 1925 film

Soul-Fire is a 1925 American silent drama film starring Richard Barthelmess and Bessie Love. It was directed by John S. Robertson and was based on the Broadway production Great Music (1924) by Martin Brown.

<i>Humoresque</i> (1920 film) 1920 film by Frank Borzage

Humoresque is a 1920 American silent drama film produced by Cosmopolitan Productions, released by Famous Players–Lasky and Paramount Pictures, and was directed by Frank Borzage from a 1919 short story by Fannie Hurst and script or scenario by Frances Marion.

<i>Weary River</i> 1929 film by Frank Lloyd

Weary River is a 1929 American sound part-talkie romantic drama film directed by Frank Lloyd and starring Richard Barthelmess, Betty Compson, and William Holden. The film was produced and distributed by First National Pictures. In addition to sequences with audible dialogue or talking sequences, the film features a synchronized musical score, singing and sound effects along with English intertitles. The soundtrack was recorded using the Vitaphone sound-on-disc system.

<i>Just Suppose</i> 1926 film

Just Suppose is a 1926 American silent drama film produced by and starring Richard Barthelmess with distribution through First National Pictures. Kenneth Webb directed Barthelmess and young Lois Moran star. The film is based on the 1920 Broadway play Just Suppose by Albert E. Thomas.

<i>Tolable David</i> (1930 film) 1930 film

Tol'able David is a 1930 American pre-Code drama film directed by John G. Blystone and produced and released by Columbia Pictures. It is a remake of the 1921 silent film Tol'able David, which starred Richard Barthelmess and Ernest Torrence.

<i>Young Nowheres</i> 1929 film by Frank Lloyd

Young Nowheres is a 1929 American drama film directed by Frank Lloyd and starring Richard Barthelmess, Marian Nixon and Bert Roach. It was produced and released by First National Pictures with a Vitaphone soundtrack in both silent and sound versions.

References

  1. ↑ "Tol'able David". Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  2. ↑ Ausführliches Essay zum Film
  3. ↑ Gottesman, Ronald; Geduld, Harry M. (1972). Guidebook to Film: An Eleven-in-one Reference. Ardent Media. p. 208. ISBN   978-0-03-085292-3.
  4. ↑ "Hooray for Hollywood". Library of Congress Information Bulletin. 67 (1–2). January–February 2008. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Complete National Film Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Librarian of Congress Announces National Film Registry Selections for 2007". Library of Congress. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  7. ↑ Thomson, David (2008), "Have You Seen...?": A Personal Introduction to 1,000 Films; New York: Alfred A. Knopf, pg 903.
  8. ↑ Thomson, Op. cit. , pg 903.
  9. ↑ Sandburg, Carl (2000). Arnie Bernstein (ed.). The Movies are: Carl Sandburg's Film Reviews and Essays, 1920–1928. Lake Claremont Press. pp. 101–103. ISBN   978-1-893121-05-8.
  10. ↑ Sherwood, Robert E. (February 2, 1922). "Tol'able David". The Silent Drama. Life. Vol. 79, no. 2048. p. 22.
  11. ↑ "Tol'able David". The Shadow Stage. Photoplay . XXI (3): 64. February 1922. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  12. ↑ Silverman, Sid (as "Skig.") (January 6, 1922). "Tol'able David". Pictures. Variety . XLV (7): 42.
  13. ↑ "Tol'able David". Motion Picture News . XXIV (25): 3100. December 10, 1921.
  14. ↑ "Tol'able David". Exhibitors Herald. XIII (22): 49. November 26, 1921.
  15. ↑ Howe, Herbert (January 1924). "Mary Pickford's Favorite Stars and Films". Photoplay. XXV (2): 29. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  16. ↑ Pudovkin, V. I. (2013) [1929; 1933]. Film Technique and Film Acting – The Cinema Writings of V.I. Pudovkin. Read Books Limited. ISBN   978-1-4465-4735-9.
  17. ↑ "John Ford's Top 10".
  18. ↑ Thomson, Op. cit., pg 903.
  19. ↑ Ward, Richard Lewis (1995). A History of the Hal Roach Studios. SIU Press. p. 198. ISBN   978-0-8093-8806-6.
  20. ↑ MacCann, Richard Dyer (1996). Films of the 1920s. Scarecrow Press. p. 79. ISBN   978-0-8108-3256-5.
  21. ↑ Fritzi Kramer (February 11, 2013). "Tol'able David (1921) A Silent Film Review". MoviesSilently. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.