Orphans of the Storm (1921)

Director:

D.W. Griffith

Writers:

Adolphe d'Ennery (novel) &
Eugène Cormon (novel) ...
(more)

Release Date:

28 December 1921 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Henriette and Louise, a foundling, are raised together as sisters. When Louise goes blind, Henriette swears to take care of her forever...

Plot Keywords:

French Revolution | Remake | Based On Novel | Based On Play

Cast

Lillian Gish	...	Henriette Girard
Dorothy Gish	...	Louise Girard
Joseph Schildkraut	...	Chevalier de Vaudrey
Frank Losee	...	Count de Linieres
Katherine Emmet	...	Countess de Linieres
Morgan Wallace	...	Marquis de Praille
Lucille La Verne	...	Mother Frochard
Sheldon Lewis	...	Jacques Frochard
Frank Puglia	...	Pierre Frochard
Creighton Hale	...	Picard
Leslie King	...	Jacques-Forget-Not
Monte Blue	...	Danton
Sidney Herbert	...	Robespierre
Lee Kohlmar	...	King Louis XVI
Marcia Harris	...	Henriette's landlady
Adolph Lestina	...	Doctor
Kate Bruce	...	Sister Genevieve
Flora Finch	...	Starving peasant
Louis Wolheim	...	Executioner
Kenny Delmar	...	The Chevalier, as a boy
James Smith	...	Dancer
Herbert Sutch	...	Meat carver at fete
Rose Smith	...	Dancer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ruth Cleaver	...	(uncredited)
Tove Danor	...	(uncredited)
Dorothy McConnell	...	(uncredited)
Frank O'Connor	...	Party guest (uncredited)

Directed by
D.W. Griffith

Writing credits
Adolphe d'Ennery		(novel "Les deux orphelines") &
Eugène Cormon		(novel "Les deux orphelines")
D.W. Griffith		writer (as Gaston de Tolignac)

Produced by
D.W. Griffith	....	producer

Original Music by
Brian Benison		(1996)
Louis F. Gottschalk
John Lanchbery		(2001)
William Frederick Peters		(as William F. Peters)

Cinematography by
Paul H. Allen
G.W. Bitzer
Hendrik Sartov

Film Editing by
James Smith
Rose Smith

Art Direction by
Charles M. Kirk

Costume Design by
Herman Patrick Tappe		(uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Herbert Sutch	....	assistant director

Art Department
Charles E. Boss	....	stand-by painter
Edward Scholl	....	set designer
Frank Wortman	....	set builder

Special Effects by
Edward Scholl	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Paul H. Allen	....	assistant camera

Editorial Department
Margaret Booth	....	cutter

Other crew
Anatole Danashaw	....	laboratory supervisor

Production Companies

• D.W. Griffith Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1921) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universum Film (UFA) (1923) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Delta Expedition (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Grapevine Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (1997) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Image Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Kino Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Kino Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Punto Zero (2007) (Italy) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (VHS)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (1991) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Sfinks (1922) (Poland) (theatrical)

Also Known As:

Deux orphelines, Les (France) [fr]
Dos huérfanas, Las (Spain) [es]
Duas Orfãs, As (Portugal) [pt]
Due orfanelle, Le (Italy) [it]
Dwie sieroty (Poland) [pl]
Myrskyn lapset (Finland) (informal literal title) [fi]
Orpolapset (Finland) [fi]
Zwei Waisen im Sturm (Germany) [de]
Zwei Waisen im Sturm der Zeiten (Austria) [de]

Runtime:

150 min | Germany:152 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Filming Locations:

Orient Point, Long Island, New York, USA

Company:

D.W. Griffith Productions

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing (2004)

Epic silent film

Story takes place in France before and after the Revolution. Louise (Dorothy Gish) and Henriette (Lillian Gish) are brought up together but are not really sisters--Louise was left on church steps as a baby and Henriette's parents took her in. Both are orphaned when their parents die and Louise is struck blind. Henriette takes her to Paris in hope of finding a cure. There they are separated--Louise is forced to work with villainous beggars and Henriette falls in love with Chevalier de Vaudrey (drop dead handsome Joseph Schildkraut).

The story is wildly implausible with some twists that had me smirking. It's also overlong and VERY melodramatic...but it still works. It was made on a large scale with beautiful settings, costumes and a cast of hundreds. D.W. Griffith did a wonderful job of directing--especially when the peasants revolt and overthrow the government. I usually hate historical movies but I loved this one! The cast overacts wildly (especially Monte Blue as Danton) except for Schildkraut who underplays--and it works. Throroughly engrossing and highly recommended. Also, on a personal note, my birthday is on July 14 which is Bastille Day and is recreated in this movie. I guess I have to like this!

I saw the two hour version (this supposedly runs 2 1/2 hours) but didn't notice any gaps.