A Romance of Happy Valley (1919) (Silent) (DVD)

Lillian Gish, 'The First Lady of American Cinema', stars in this lost masterpiece from groundbreaking director D.W. Griffith. John Logan is a small town boy caught up in dreams of fame and fortune. He never stops to appreciate the home that his hardworking parents have given him, or the love of his wholesome next-door neighbor, Jennie Timberlake. John leaves everything behind to try his luck in New York City. Through eight years of struggle, the former country bumpkin turns himself into a successful entrepreneur. But back home, a heartbroken Jennie awaits her sweetheart's return, while the bank forecloses on the family farm. Confident in his success, the new millionaire decides to return home to propose to Jennie. The happy reunion turns to tragedy when John's father, desperate for cash, robs the unrecognizable stranger arriving in town....not realizing that it is his own son.

A Romance of Happy Valley is a semi-autobiographical morality tale from D.W. Griffith, who grew up in rural Kentucky (he even wrote the screenplay, under the pseudonym 'Captain Victor Marier'.) At the time of the film's release, Lillian Gish was at the height of her popularity after The Birth of a Nation (1915), Intolerance (1916), and Hearts of the World (1918), all directed by Griffith. Leading man Robert Harron had been trained by Griffith himself, but his career came to a tragic end in 1920 when he died in a still-unexplained shooting accident.

• silent