The Idol Dancer

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The Idol Dancer
Clarine Seymour The Idol Dancer 2.jpg
Clarine Seymour in the film
Directed by D. W. Griffith
Produced by D. W. Griffith
Written by Stanner E. V. Taylor
Based on "Blood of the Covenants"
by Gordon Ray Young
Starring Richard Barthelmess
Clarine Seymour
Cinematography Paul H. Allen
G. W. Bitzer
Edited by James Smith
Distributed by First National Pictures
Release dates
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  • March 21, 1920 (1920-03-21)
Running time
104 min
92 min
Country United States
Language Silent
English intertitles

The Idol Dancer is a 1920 American silent drama film produced and directed by D. W. Griffith. It stars Richard Barthelmess and Clarine Seymour in her final film role. Seymour was a young actress Griffith was grooming for stardom. She died of pneumonia shortly after emergency surgery for an intestinal blockage on April 24, 1920, less than a month after the film premiered.[1][2]

The film is based on the story "Blood of the Covenants" by Gordon Ray Young. The scenario was written by Stanner E. V. Taylor.[3]

Plot

Mary (Seymour) is the daughter of a French man and a Javanese mother and enjoys dancing. She has two lovers, one being a beachcomber (Barthelmess) who was tossed off a passing ship for failing to work and desires only to drink gin. The other is a sickly young American (Kincaid) who has come to the island in hope of regaining his health and is staying with his missionary uncle (MacQuarrie) and his wife (Bruce). Natives from a neighboring island attack. The beachcomber reforms and Mary comes to love him.[4]

Cast

Production

Griffith filmed exteriors for The Idol Dancer simultaneously with The Love Flower (1920), in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Nassau, Bahamas in December 1919.[5][6]

Status

A 35mm print of the film is preserved by the Cohen Media Group. 16mm prints of the film are held in private collections.[1]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Progressive Silent Film List: The Idol Dancer at silentera.com
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  6. (Slide & 2012 p.XX)

External links