''The Love Light'' is a 1921 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 ...

starring

Mary Pickford Gladys Marie Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American stage and screen actress and producer with a career that spanned five decades. A pioneer in the US film industry, she co-founde ...

. The film was written and directed by

Frances Marion Frances Marion (born Marion Benson Owens, November 18, 1888 – May 12, 1973) was an American screenwriter, director, journalist and author often cited as one of the most renowned female screenwriters of the 20th century alongside June Mathis a ...

. Pickford selected the story as she wanted to play an adult and not another adolescent role.

Plot

Based upon a summary in a film publication, Angela (Pickford), an Italian girl, bids good-bye to her second brother, who is the youngest, as he goes off to join the troops. Then comes news that her older brother has been killed in the

war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

. Giovanni ( Bloomer), who loves Angela, tries to comfort her, and then he too is called. Left alone, Angela is made keeper of the lighthouse. Joseph ( Thomson) arrives and says that he is an American and a

deserter Desertion is the abandonment of a military duty or post without permission (a pass, liberty or leave) and is done with the intention of not returning. This contrasts with unauthorized absence (UA) or absence without leave (AWOL ), which ...

. They are later secretly married. One night he has Angela flash him a "love" signal using the lighthouse. The next morning an Italian ship carrying wounded men is reported as having been destroyed at midnight, the hour when the signal was sent. Angela steals some chocolate from Tony ( Regas) for Joseph to take with him. When she arrives home, she hears Joseph murmur in his sleep "Gott mit uns," and it dawns on her that her husband is a German spy. Tony traces the theft to her, and after he says that her wounded brother had been on the ship, she realizes that it was the signal that sent her brother to his death. She gives up Joseph, who still proclaims his love for her. Joseph breaks away from his jailers and plunges over a cliff to his death. Later, with her and Joseph's baby, Angela is happy with her old sweetheart Giovanni, who has returned from the war blind.

Cast

as Angela Carlotti * Evelyn Dumo as Maria *

Raymond Bloomer Raymond Bloomer (December 9, 1886 – November 1, 1948), was an American actor. He appeared in 22 films between 1913 and 1927. Filmography External links * * * American male film actors American male silent film actors Male actor ...

as Giovanni *

Fred Thomson Frederick Clifton Thomson (February 26, 1890 – December 25, 1928) was an American silent film cowboy who rivaled Tom Mix in popularity before dying at age 38 of tetanus. Birth and athletic achievement Born in Pasadena, California to Clara ...

as Joseph * Albert Prisco as Pietro * George Regas as Tony * Eddie Phillips as Mario Carlotti * Jean De Briac as Antonio Carlotti

Reception

'' Photoplay'' published a very critical review by

Burns Mantle Robert Burns Mantle (December 23, 1873February 9, 1948) was an American theater critic. He founded the ''Best Plays'' annual publication in 1920.Chansky, Dorothy (2011)"Burns Mantle and the American Theatregoing Public" in ''Theatre History Stu ...

. He wrote, in summary, "''The Love Light'' is a poor picture in the sense of being quite unworthy of the star's talents. The story is developed without reasonable logic and filmed with only the value of the pictures in mind. ''The Love Lights one value to my mind is that it takes the nation's sweetheart out of curls and short frocks and makes a woman of her."

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Love Light, The 1921 films 1921 drama films Silent American drama films American silent feature films American black-and-white films Films shot in California United Artists films Films with screenplays by Frances Marion 1920s American films

Plot

Cast

Reception

See also

References

External links