''Under the Greenwood Tree'' is a 1918 American silent

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Emile Chautard Emil or Emile may refer to: Literature *'' Emile, or On Education'' (1762), a treatise on education by Jean-Jacques Rousseau * ''Émile'' (novel) (1827), an autobiographical novel based on Émile de Girardin's early life *'' Emil and the Detecti ...

and starring

Elsie Ferguson Elsie Louise Ferguson (August 19, 1883 – November 15, 1961) was an American stage and film actress. Early life Born in New York City, Elsie Ferguson was the only child of Hiram and Amelia Ferguson. Her father was a successful attorney. Raise ...

. The movie was based on a play by Henry V. Esmond. An unrelated British film with this title based on the Thomas Hardy novel ''

Under the Greenwood Tree ''Under the Greenwood Tree: A Rural Painting of the Dutch School'' is a novel by the English writer Thomas Hardy, published anonymously in 1872. It was Hardy's second published novel, and the first of what was to become his series of Wessex n ...

'' was made in 1929. The film possibly has a scene where Ferguson swims in the nude in a pond. The title refers to a line in

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's play '' As You Like It'' (Act II, Scene V). It is classified as being a

lost film A lost film is a feature Feature may refer to: Computing * Feature (CAD), could be a hole, pocket, or notch * Feature (computer vision), could be an edge, corner or blob * Feature (software design) is an intentional distinguishing char ...

Plot

Mary Hamilton an heiress tires of fortune hunting men and takes her secretary Peggy to join a group of gypsies undercover. As the women head into the woods Sir Kenneth one of Mary's close male friends follows them dressed as a gypsy. Jack Hutton a wealthy landowner wants the gypsies off his land and has Sir Kenneth jailed. Hutton then seeks out Mary's camp, not knowing her true identity, and wants her thrown off the land as well but then catches her swimming in a moonlit pond. Hutton falls in love with Mary and Mary asks him to dine. When Hutton leaves a band of gypsies attacks Mary's wagon and tie her up. Jack then tries to rescue Mary but is beaten by the gypsies. Sir Kenneth has by then been released from jail and arrives with Peggy, the two of them are now in love. After they cut Mary loose, Sir Kenneth and Peggy head off to be married leaving Mary to care for Hutton. As Hutton recuperates Mary tells him the truth that she is an heiress and not a gypsy as she had led Hutton to believe. They are later married. The poor in the film, as represented by the lazy gypsies who rob Mary, do not compare well to the heroic but naive members of the upper class.

Cast

as Mary Hamilton * Eugene O'Brien as Jack Hutton *

Edmund Burns Edmund Burns (September 27, 1892 – April 2, 1980 ) was an American actor. He was best known for his films of the silent 1920s, particularly ''The Princess from Hoboken'' (1927), '' Made for Love'' (1926), and ''After the Fog'' (1929), althoug ...

as Sir Kenneth Graham (*as Edward Burns) * Mildred Havens as Peggy Ingledew * John Ardizoni as Karl * Robert Milasch as Pete * Robert Vivian as Griggs * Charles Craig as Hurrell Hutton * Henry Warwick as Earl of Hexham * James A. Furey as Sinclair

References

External links

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surviving image card
archived) {{DEFAULTSORT:Under The Greenwood Tree 1918 films American silent feature films Lost American films Famous Players-Lasky films Films directed by Emile Chautard 1918 drama films American black-and-white films Films set in England Silent American drama films 1918 lost films Lost drama films 1910s American films 1910s English-language films