A Corner in Wheat (1909)

Director:

D.W. Griffith

Writers:

D.W. Griffith (writer)
Frank Norris (novel)

Release Date:

13 December 1909 (USA)

Genre:

Short | Drama

Plot:

A greedy tycoon decides, on a whim, to corner the world market in wheat. This doubles the price of bread...

Plot Keywords:

Morality | Farm | Social Issues | Based On Novel

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Frank Powell	...	The Wheat King
Grace Henderson	...	The Wheat King's Wife
James Kirkwood	...	Farmer
Linda Arvidson	...	Farmer's Wife
W. Chrystie Miller	...	Farmer's Father
Gladys Egan	...	Farmer's Little Daughter
Henry B. Walthall	...	Wheat King's Assistant
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kate Bruce	...	In Store
William J. Butler	...	Ruined Wheat Trader
Charles Craig	...	On the Floor of the Exchange / Banquet Guest
Edward Dillon
Frank Evans	...	On the Floor of the Exchange / Banquet Guest / Grain Elevator Attendant
Edith Haldeman	...	In Store
Robert Harron	...	On the Floor of the Exchange
Ruth Hart	...	In Store
Arthur V. Johnson	...	Wheat Trader in Bowler Hat / Banquet Guest
Henry Lehrman	...	On the Floor of the Exchange (unconfirmed)
Jeanie Macpherson	...	Banquet Guest / Visitor to the Grain Elevator
Charles Hill Mailes
Owen Moore	...	On the Floor of the Exchange / Banquet Guest
George Nichols	...	On the Floor of the Exchange
Anthony O'Sullivan	...	On the Floor of the Exchange
Billy Quirk	...	On the Floor of the Exchange / Banquet Guest
Gertrude Robinson	...	In Store
Mack Sennett	...	On the Floor of the Exchange
Blanche Sweet	...	Woman in White Hat / Visitor to the Grain Elevator
Dorothy West	...	Visitor to the Grain Elevator

Also Known As:

Le spéculateur en grains (France) [fr]
Les spéculateurs (France) [fr]

Runtime:

14 min (18 fps)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

USA:G

Filming Locations:

Biograph Studio, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Biograph Company

Trivia:

One of the first films that Griffith used the technique of parallel editing on (a technique he pioneered). It was used to create the effects in the wheat suffocating scene.

Movie Connections:

Featured in WALL·E (2008)

Some Good Techniques For Its Time

For the cinematic limitations of its time, there are some good techniques in this short drama. The story, which is about a ruthless man trying to control the wheat market, is interesting though often heavy-handed - but it's the way it is filmed that makes it of interest. The actual story is preceded by a look at farmers growing wheat, and it includes a nicely planned shot of the sowers going back and forth, in a way that cleverly gets around the fixed camera limitations of the time. The main story shows good technique as well, using well-conceived cross-cutting to emphasize the differences between the world of those who rely on the wheat and the world of those who profit from it. It has an effective closing shot, too. It's pretty good drama and an interesting example of how these very old films were made.