''Judith of Bethulia'' (

1914 This year saw the beginning of what became known as World War I, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian throne was Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip. It als ...

) is an American film starring Blanche Sweet and Henry B. Walthall, and produced and directed by

D. W. Griffith David Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 – July 23, 1948) was an American film director. Considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the motion picture, he pioneered many aspects of film editing and expanded the art of the na ...

, based on the play "Judith and the Holofernes" (1896) by Thomas Bailey Aldrich, which itself was an adaptation of the

Book of Judith The Book of Judith is a deuterocanonical book, included in the Septuagint and the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christian Old Testament of the Bible, but excluded from the Hebrew canon and assigned by Protestants to the apocrypha. It tells ...

. The film was the first feature-length film made by pioneering film company Biograph, although the second that Biograph released. Shortly after its completion and a disagreement Griffith had with Biograph executives on making more future feature-length films, Griffith left Biograph, and took the entire stock company with him. Biograph delayed the picture's release until 1914, after Griffith's departure, so that it would not have to pay him in a profit-sharing agreement they had.

Synopsis

The film is based on the deuterocanonical

. During the siege of the Jewish city of Bethulia by the Assyrians, a widow named Judith ( Blanche Sweet) has a plan to stop the war as her people suffer starvation and are ready to surrender. The widow disguises herself as a harem girl and goes to the enemy camp, where she beguiles a general of King

Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar II (Babylonian cuneiform: ''Nabû-kudurri-uṣur'', meaning "Nabu, watch over my heir"; Biblical Hebrew: ''Nəḇūḵaḏneʾṣṣar''), also spelled Nebuchadrezzar II, was the second king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, ruling ...

, whose army is besieging the city. Judith seduces Holofernes (

Henry Walthall Henry Brazeale Walthall (March 16, 1878 – June 17, 1936) was an American stage and film actor. He appeared as the Little Colonel in D. W. Griffith's ''The Birth of a Nation'' (1915). Early life Henry B. Walthall was born March 16, 1878 on a ...

), then while he is drunk cuts off his head with a sabre. She returns to her city, a heroine.

Cast

* Blanche Sweet - Judith * Henry B. Walthall - Holofernes * Mae Marsh - Naomi *

Robert Harron Robert Emmett Harron (April 12, 1893 – September 5, 1920) was an American motion picture actor of the early silent film era. Although he acted in over 200 films, he is possibly best recalled for his roles in the D.W. Griffith directed fi ...

- Nathan *

Lillian Gish Lillian Diana Gish (October 14, 1893February 27, 1993) was an American actress, director, and screenwriter. Her film-acting career spanned 75 years, from 1912, in silent film shorts, to 1987. Gish was called the "First Lady of American Cinema", ...

- The young mother * Dorothy Gish - The crippled beggar * Kate Bruce - Judith's maid *

J. Jiquel Lanoe Joseph Jiquel Lanoe (3 October 1875 – 15 February 1948) was a French actor who appeared in films and theater in the United States. He had roles in more than 100 American Biograph films. A gay man, D. W. Griffith cast him as a gay Eunuch charac ...

- Eunuch Attendant * Harry Carey - Assyrian Traitor * W. Chrystie Miller - Bethulian *

Gertrude Robinson Gertrude Robinson (October 7, 1890 – March 19, 1962) was an American actress of the silent era. Biography She appeared in 164 films between 1908 and 1925. She was born in New York City and died in Hollywood, California. She was the fi ...

* Charles Hill Mailes - Bethulian Soldier * Edward Dillon * Gertrude Bambrick - Lead Assyrian Dancer *

Lionel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blythe; April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio as well as a film director. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''A Free Soul'' (1931) ...

- Extra *

Clara T. Bracy Clara T. Bracy (born Clara Rose Hodges; 1 January 1848 – 22 February 1941) was an English stage and silent film actress. Life and career Bracy was born Clara Rose Hodges in London, England. Her father was Edward Hodges, and her mother was ...

- Bethulian * Kathleen Butler - Bethulian * William J. Butler - Bethulian *

Christy Cabanne William Christy Cabanne (April 16, 1888 – October 15, 1950) was an American film director, screenwriter, and silent film actor. Biography Born in 1888, Cabanne (pronounced CAB-a-nay) started his career on stage as an actor and director. He a ...

* William A. Carroll - Assyrian Soldier (as William Carroll) * Frank Evans - Bethulian Soldier * Mary Gish * Harry Hyde - Bethulian Soldier/Assyrian Soldier * Thomas Jefferson (actor) * Jennie Lee - Bethulian * Adolph Lestina - Bethulian * Elmo Lincoln * Antonio Moreno - Extra *

Marshall Neilan Marshall Ambrose "Mickey" Neilan (April 11, 1891 – October 27, 1958) was an American actor. Early life Born in San Bernardino, California, Neilan was known by most as "Mickey." Following the death of his father, the eleven-year-old Mickey N ...

* Frank Opperman - Bethulian *

Alfred Paget Alfred Paget (2 June 1879 – 8 October 1919) was an English silent film actor best known for his portrayal of Prince Belshazzar in D.W. Griffith's 1916 historical epic ''Intolerance''. He appeared in more than 230 films between 1908 and 19 ...

- Bethulian/Assyrian Soldier *

W. C. Robinson Walter Charles Robinson (April 22, 1873 – July 13, 1942) was an American actor of the silent era. Biography Robinson was born on April 22, 1873 in Manhattan, New York City, to James H. Robinson and Emma Holzlander. He appeared in more ...

- Bethulian Soldier *

Kate Toncray Kate Toncray (1867 – December 6, 1927) was an American actress of the silent era. She appeared in more than 170 films between 1905 and 1925. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri and died in Manhattan, New York City.Variety'', March 27, 1914, wrote: "It is not easy to confess one's self unequal to a given task, but to pen an adequate description of the Biograph's production of 'Judith of Bethulia' is, to say the least, a full grown man's job." '' The Moving Picture World'', March 7, 1914, described it as: "A fascinating work of high artistry, 'Judith of Bethulia' will not only rank as an achievement in this country, but will make foreign producers sit up and take notice."Judith of Bethulia commentary
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References

External links

* *
''Judith of Bethulia'' at SilentEra
*
Judith of Bethulia
available for free download a
Internet Archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Judith Of Bethulia American silent feature films 1914 films American black-and-white films Silent American drama films 1914 drama films Films directed by D. W. Griffith Films about Jews and Judaism Biograph Company films Judith in film Articles containing video clips Films based on the Bible American films based on plays Films with screenplays by Frank E. Woods Films based on adaptations 1910s American films Silent horror films

Synopsis

Cast

See also

References

External links