''The Enchanted Barn'' is a 1919 American silent drama film produced by

Vitagraph Studios Vitagraph Studios, also known as the Vitagraph Company of America, was a United States motion picture studio. It was founded by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York, as the American Vitagraph Company. By 1907, ...

. It was directed by David Smith and starred

Bessie Love Bessie Love (born Juanita Horton; September 10, 1898April 26, 1986) was an American-British actress who achieved prominence playing innocent, young girls and wholesome leading ladies in silent and early sound films. Her acting career spanned ei ...

and

J. Frank Glendon J. Frank Glendon (October 25, 1886 – March 17, 1937) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 70 films between 1915 and 1936. He was born in Choteau, Montana, and died in Hollywood, California. Selected filmography * '' Canni ...

. The script was written by Kathryn Reed, based on the novel by Grace Livingston Hill Lutz. Bessie Love had been familiar with the source novel, and was instrumental in optioning it for this film. The film is considered

lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

Plot

To care for her ailing mother, young stenographer Shirley (Love) takes her young brother (Butterworth) to find a new home with country air. She finds a barn, owned by the family of Sidney Graham (Glendon), who agrees to rent her the barn. She fixes up the barn, and moves in with her mother and brother. Shirley overhears a conversation between two men who intend to swindle her new landlord in the sale of a mine. She transcribes their words in a stenographic report, and uses it to foil the deal. Graham is very appreciative, and he and Shirley get to know each other. Shirley falls in love with Graham, but she receives word that he is engaged to another woman. The two swindlers seek revenge on Shirley by kidnapping her, but she manages to notify Graham by dropping a note out of a car window. He calls the sheriff, who tracks down the swindlers, and Graham himself finds Shirley. Once reunited, it is revealed that Graham is not, in fact, engaged to another woman, and that he is in love with Shirley.

Cast

Release and reception

Overall, the film received mixed reviews. Bessie Love's performance received good reviews, although it was deemed "much as she has appeared in previous productions". The plot, however, was highly criticized as being thin. On its release, some theaters showed the film with the Vitagraph comedy short '' Soapsuds and Sapheads''. The film was shown in other theaters with ''

The Dawn of Understanding ''The Dawn of Understanding'' is a lost film, lost 1918 American silent film, silent Western (genre), Western comedy film produced by The Vitagraph Company of America and directed by David Smith (director), David Smith. It stars Bessie Love in t ...

'', which also starred Love, as "Bessie Love Day."

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Enchanted Barn, The 1919 lost films American black-and-white films American silent feature films Silent American drama films Films based on American novels Films directed by David Smith (director) Lost American drama films 1910s American films