The Idol Dancer is a 1920 American silent South Seas 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 Idol Dancer | |
---|---|
Directed by | D. W. Griffith |
Written by | Stanner E. V. Taylor |
Based on | "Blood of the Covenants" by Gordon Ray Young |
Produced by | D. W. Griffith |
Starring | Richard Barthelmess Clarine Seymour |
Cinematography | Paul H. Allen G. W. Bitzer |
Edited by | James Smith |
Distributed by | First National Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 104 minutes 92 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
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]
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 (Hale) 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]
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]
A 35mm print of the film is preserved by the Cohen Media Group. 16mm prints of the film are held in private collections.[1]