The Dumb Girl of Portici is a 1916 American silent historical drama film directed by Phillips Smalley and Lois Weber and starring Anna Pavlova, Rupert Julian and Wadsworth Harris.[1] It was adapted by Weber from the libretto by Germain Delavigne and Eugène Scribe for Daniel Auber's 1828 opera La muette de Portici (The Mute of Portici). The film marked Pavlova's only feature film performance.
| The Dumb Girl of Portici | |
|---|---|
 Anna Pavlova (center foreground) | |
| Directed by | Phillips Smalley Lois Weber |
| Written by | Germain Delavigne (opera) Eugène Scribe (opera) Lois Weber |
| Produced by | Carl Laemmle |
| Starring | Anna Pavlova Rupert Julian Wadsworth Harris |
| Cinematography | Dal Clawson Allen G. Siegler R.W. Walter |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Universal Film Manufacturing Company |
Release date |
|
Running time | 112 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
Overview edit
The film was Universal's most expensive film to that date, made at a cost at approximately $300,000. It was also the longest film made by a woman director in the 1910s.[2]
Plot edit
Fenella (Anna Pavlova) is a poor Italian girl who falls in love with Duke d'Arcos (Wadsworth Harris), a Spanish nobleman.[3]
Cast edit
- Anna Pavlova as Fenella
- Rupert Julian as Masaniello
- Wadsworth Harris as Duke d'Arcos
- Douglas Gerrard as Alphonso
- Jack Holt as Conde
- Betty Schade as Isabella
- Edna Maison as Elvira
- Jack Hoxie as Perrone
- William Wolbert as Pietro
- Laura Oakley as Rilla
- Nigel De Brulier as Father Francisco
- Lina Basquette as Child
Release edit
The film was released on DVD/Blu-ray in 2018 with a new score by John Sweeney.[4]
See also edit
- The Mute of Portici (1922)
- The Mute of Portici (1952)
References edit
- ^ Slide p.43
- ^ "THE DUMB GIRL OF PORTICI (1916)". afi.com. April 3, 1916. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ "The Dumb Girl of Portici". letterboxd.com. 1916. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ "Milestone Film".
Bibliography edit
- Slide, Anthony. Early Women Directors. A. S. Barnes, 1977.
External links edit
