His Secret
Plot
In this early Biograph melodrama, a young couple struggles against the crushing weight of poverty and unemployment. When the husband is repeatedly rejected by potential employers, his desperation reaches a breaking point, leading him to believe that honest work is no longer an option for survival. While his wife continues to search for legitimate employment to keep them afloat, the husband descends into a life of crime, beginning with small thefts that escalate as his guilt grows. The narrative follows the moral decay of the husband as he attempts to hide his illicit activities from his virtuous wife, creating a domestic tension that culminates in a tragic realization of his double life. Ultimately, the film explores the thin line between desperation and criminality in the urban landscape of the early 20th century.
Director
About the Production
The film was produced during a transitional period for the Biograph Company as D.W. Griffith was moving toward feature-length productions, leaving room for actors like Lionel Barrymore to experiment with directing. It was filmed on 35mm black and white stock using the standard orthochromatic film of the era, which required heavy lighting and specific makeup to avoid looking washed out. The production utilized the 'Biograph style' of understated acting, which was a departure from the more theatrical stage acting common in other studios at the time.
Historical Background
1913 was a pivotal year in American history and cinema; it was the year the 16th Amendment was ratified, establishing the federal income tax, and the year the Ford Motor Company introduced the first moving assembly line. In the film world, the 'Motion Picture Patents Company' (the Trust) was beginning to lose its grip on the industry as independent producers flourished. 'His Secret' reflects the social anxieties of the time, specifically the lack of a social safety net for the urban poor and the moral panic surrounding the rise of petty crime in industrial cities. The film serves as a window into the pre-World War I American mindset regarding poverty, gender roles, and the sanctity of the domestic sphere.
Why This Film Matters
While not as famous as the works of Griffith, 'His Secret' is significant as a primary example of the 'social problem' film that proliferated in the early 1910s. It demonstrates the evolution of film grammar, moving away from simple 'chase' films toward complex psychological melodramas that asked the audience to empathize with a criminal protagonist. It also stands as a testament to the versatility of the Barrymore family, showing that Lionel's contributions to cinema extended behind the camera during the formative years of the medium.
Making Of
The production of 'His Secret' was handled with the efficiency typical of the Biograph 'factory' system. Lionel Barrymore was given the opportunity to direct as part of a studio initiative to develop internal talent while D.W. Griffith was occupied with larger projects like 'Judith of Bethulia.' The cast likely consisted of the Biograph stock company, though specific secondary credits were often unlisted in 1913 trade journals. The film was shot quickly, likely over the course of just a few days, utilizing existing sets at the 14th Street studio in Manhattan and nearby outdoor locations in New Jersey to save on costs.
Visual Style
The cinematography is attributed to the Biograph house style, likely influenced by Billy Bitzer. It utilizes a 'proscenium' style of framing but includes subtle uses of depth where action occurs in both the foreground and background to create a sense of realism. The lighting is flat and even, typical of the era's reliance on natural light supplemented by mercury vapor lamps in the studio.
Innovations
The film utilizes cross-cutting (parallel editing) to build tension between the wife's search for work and the husband's criminal activities, a technique perfected at Biograph. It also employs the use of 'inserts' or close-ups of objects (such as the stolen goods) to advance the plot without the need for excessive intertitles.
Music
As a silent film, there was no recorded soundtrack. Original screenings would have been accompanied by a live pianist or organist playing stock 'melodramatic' cues or improvising based on the emotional beats of the scenes.
Memorable Scenes
- The rejection montage: A series of brief scenes showing the husband being turned away from various storefronts and factories, effectively conveying his growing hopelessness.
- The first theft: A tense scene where the husband hesitates before stealing, capturing the internal conflict between his conscience and his hunger.
- The final confrontation: The moment the wife discovers the 'secret' stash of stolen goods, leading to a climactic emotional breakdown.
Did You Know?
- This film marks one of the very few directorial efforts of Lionel Barrymore, who is far better known for his legendary acting career.
- The film was released as a 'split-reel' or a single reel short, which was the standard format for Biograph releases in 1913.
- Lionel Barrymore not only directed the film but also appeared in several Biograph films during this same year, often working under the tutelage of D.W. Griffith.
- The Biograph Company was notoriously secretive about its actors and directors, often not giving them screen credit, which has made archival research for films like 'His Secret' difficult for historians.
- The film features the 'Biograph look,' characterized by deep focus and a relatively static camera, which was a hallmark of the studio's technical supervisor, G.W. 'Billy' Bitzer.
- During the year of this film's release, the film industry was rapidly moving from New York and New Jersey toward Hollywood, making this one of the later examples of the East Coast production era.
- The plot's focus on the 'honest poor' turning to crime was a popular trope in Progressive Era cinema, used to highlight social inequality.
What Critics Said
At the time of its release, trade publications like 'The Moving Picture World' generally praised Biograph releases for their high production values and 'artistic' restraint. Critics noted that the film handled a potentially sordid subject with 'dignity' and 'moral clarity.' Modern film historians view it as a competent, if conventional, example of the short-form melodrama that defined the era before the feature-film revolution. It is often studied today more for its directorial credit than for its narrative innovation.
What Audiences Thought
Audiences in 1913 were accustomed to these 'moral lessons' in nickelodeons and early movie palaces. The film was well-received by working-class audiences who identified with the struggles of the protagonists, though it was viewed as a standard 'program filler' rather than a major cinematic event. The emotional resonance of a man failing to provide for his family was a powerful hook for the contemporary public.
Film Connections
Influenced By
- The social realist plays of the late 19th century
- D.W. Griffith's early Biograph shorts (e.g., 'The Musketeers of Pig Alley')
- Victorian morality tales
This Film Influenced
- Later social realist films of the 1920s
- The 'fallen man' tropes in film noir
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Film Restoration
The film is considered rare; while some Biograph shorts are preserved in the Library of Congress (Paper Print Collection), many from this specific year exist only in fragmentary form or are lost. It is currently listed in various archives as a title requiring further preservation efforts.