The Scarlet Letter (1926)

Director:

Victor Sjöström

Writers:

Nathaniel Hawthorne (novel)
Frances Marion (adaptation)
(more)

Release Date:

8 January 1927 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Plot:

In Puritan Boston, seamstress Hester Prynne is punished for playing on the Sabbath day; but kindly minister Arthur Dimmesdale takes pity on her...

Plot Keywords:

Seamstress | Adultery | Minister | Love | Church

Cast

Lillian Gish	...	Hester Prynne
Lars Hanson	...	The Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale
Henry B. Walthall	...	Roger Chillingworth
Karl Dane	...	Master Giles
William H. Tooker	...	The Governor
Marcelle Corday	...	Mistress Hibbins
Fred Herzog	...	The Jailer
Jules Cowles	...	The Beadle
Mary Hawes	...	Patience
Joyce Coad	...	Pearl
James A. Marcus	...	A Sea Captain
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nora Cecil	...	(uncredited)
Dorothy Gray	...	Child (uncredited)
Margaret Mann	...	(uncredited)
Polly Moran	...	Jeering Townswoman (uncredited)
Chief Yowlachie	...	Indian (uncredited)

Directed by
Victor Sjöström		(as Victor Seastrom)

Writing credits
Nathaniel Hawthorne		(novel)
Frances Marion		(adaptation and scenario)
Frances Marion		(titles)

Produced by
Victor Sjöström	....	producer (as Victor Seastrom)

Original Music by
Lisa Anne Miller		(2000)
Mark Northam		(2000)
William Axt		(uncredited)
David Mendoza		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Hendrik Sartov		(as Henrik Sartov)

Film Editing by
Hugh Wynn

Set Decoration by
Cedric Gibbons		(settings)
Sidney Ullman		(settings)

Costume Design by
Max Rée

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Harold S. Bucquet	....	assistant director (as Harold Bucquet)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Inc.)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1926) (USA) (theatrical)
• Turner Entertainment (USA) (TV) (as Turner Entertainment Company) (2000 restored version)

Also Known As:

A Mulher Marcada (Portugal) [pt]
Der rote Buchstabe (Austria) [de]
La mujer marcada (Spain) [es]
Punainen kirjain (Finland) [fi]
To matomeno gramma (Greece) [el]
Tulipunainen kirjain (Finland) [fi]

Runtime:

Sweden:115 min | 98 min (2000 restored version)

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Filming Locations:

Iverson Ranch, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Greta Garbo was an almost daily visitor to the set, in order to be near her friend Lars Hansen, and to speak Swedish to alleviate her homesickness.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "MGM: When the Lion Roars" (1992)

There Just Aren't Enough Words.....

There just aren't enough words to describe the beautiful performances in this film....not that words are needed, then or now. Victor Seastrom's lovingly crafted scenes provide perfect visual frames for the transcendent performances of Lillian Gish and Lars Hanson. An artistic triumph for everyone concerned, and a bittersweet reminder of what was lost with the death of the art of the silent film. (The Turner restoration is alas, also bittersweet, as prints of wildly differing quality had to be "married" in order to create a substantially complete copy of the subject. Thus, viewers move from scenes that shimmer with pristine beauty to muddy, contrasty dupes. It's a tribute to the art of all concerned however, that this is not the distracting issue it might be with a lesser film. Like any work of art, you won't notice the cracks and flaws after a while if you're paying attention as you should. It's just a shame that the entire film isn't as mint-fresh as some of its scenes.)