''The Scarlet Letter'' is a lost 1908 silent American short film, directed by Sidney Olcott. It was based on the 1850 novel of the same name by

Nathaniel Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne (July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was an American novelist and short story writer. His works often focus on history, morality, and religion. He was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, from a family long associated with that t ...

. The screenplay was written by

Gene Gauntier Gene Gauntier (born Genevieve Gauntier Liggett, August 26, 1885 – December 18, 1966) was an American screenwriter and actress who was one of the pioneers of the motion picture industry. A writer, director, and actress in films from mid 1906 ...

, who also played the character Hester Prynne. The film was produced by Kalem Company. It was Jack Conway's first film as an actor. He later went on to direct films such as '' While the City Sleeps'' and ''Libeled Lady''. Ruth Roland was also in the cast.

Plot

Hester Prynne becomes pregnant while her husband is absent. In June 1642, in the Puritan town of Boston, a crowd gathers to witness the punishment of Prynne, who is found guilty of adultery. She is required to wear a scarlet "A" ("A" is the symbol of adultery ) on her dress to shame her. Pastor Dimmesdale, who seduced the woman, hypocritically becomes one of her accusers.

References

* The New York Dramatic Mirror, March 21, 1908; March 28, 1908 * Views & Films Index, March 21, 1908, p 10

Sources

''The Scarlet Letter'' (1908)
on

Internet Movie Database IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

Jack Conway
on

External links

AFI Catalog
*

website dedicated to Sidney Olcott 1908 films Lost American drama films Silent American drama films American silent short films Films directed by Sidney Olcott 1908 short films 1908 drama films American black-and-white films 1908 lost films Films based on The Scarlet Letter 1900s American films {{1900s-short-drama-film-stub