Pippa Passes

About the production

The film is a notable early adaptation of Robert Browning's 1841 verse drama. Director D.W. Griffith was a great admirer of Victorian literature and sought to elevate the 'nickelodeon' medium by adapting classic works. To achieve the famous 'dawn' effect in the opening scene, Griffith and cinematographer Billy Bitzer used a sliding panel in the studio wall to gradually admit light, a sophisticated technique for 1909. The production was filmed in late August and early September of 1909.

Themes

Themes & topics

Historical background

Made in its country of production around 1909, Pippa Passes belongs to the first decade of projected film. Its story of pippa awakes and faces the world outside with a song spoke to audiences of the day through familiar genres and topical settings.

Why this film matters

Archivists and historians still cite Pippa Passes when tracing how the first decade of projected film filmmakers staged pippa and awakes on screen.

Making of

The production was marked by Griffith's experimentation with 'mood lighting.' To simulate the passage of time from dawn to dusk, Griffith and Bitzer devised a method of using artificial light and controlled natural light through studio windows. This was a departure from the flat, even lighting typical of early silent films. Griffith also insisted on a more naturalistic acting style from his cast, moving away from the exaggerated theatrical gestures common in the early 1900s. The film's structure, following a single character through multiple vignettes, was also a narrative innovation that Griffith would later expand upon in his feature-length masterpieces.

What critics said

Reviews from 1909 weighed Pippa Passes on pacing, performance, and novelty. Later criticism reads its emphasis on pippa, awakes, faces through modern standards of craft and representation.

Did you know?

• Pippa Passes was the first motion picture ever to be reviewed by The New York Times, appearing in the October 10, 1909 edition.
• A young Mary Pickford actually screen-tested for the lead role of Pippa, but Griffith ultimately cast Gertrude Robinson instead.
• The film features an early appearance by Mack Sennett, who would later become the 'King of Comedy' and creator of the Keystone Cops.
• The town of Pippa Passes in Knott County, Kentucky, was named after and the Browning poem it was based on.
• The film was considered so prestigious that it was often used by the Biograph Company to prove that movies could be high art for 'critical audiences.'
• Cinematographer Billy Bitzer used a 'Pathé' camera for the production, which was the industry standard at the time.
• The film was re-released in 1915 by the General Film Company due to its enduring popularity and Griffith's rising fame.
• Linda Arvidson, who plays a Greek model in the film, was actually D.W. Griffith's wife at the time of filming.

Visual style

The cinematography by G.W. 'Billy' Bitzer and Arthur Marvin is celebrated for its early use of 'Rembrandt lighting' and the 'dawn-to-dusk' lighting effects. Bitzer used a series of mirrors and reflectors to bounce light into the actors' faces, creating a soft, ethereal glow that matched the spiritual theme of the film. The use of the 'iris' effect to focus the viewer's attention on specific details was also beginning to be refined during this production.

Innovations

The most significant technical achievement was the controlled lighting used to simulate the progression of a single day. This required a level of coordination between the camera and the studio environment that was unprecedented. Additionally, the film utilized sophisticated cross-cutting between Pippa's journey and the various subplots, a technique Griffith would later perfect in 'Intolerance' (1916).

Music

As a silent film, it had no recorded soundtrack. However, Biograph provided 'musical suggestions' for theater pianists and organists, which included specific hymns and light classical pieces to accompany Pippa's walks. The 'song' Pippa sings is represented visually through her lute and the reactions of the characters who hear her.

Famous quotes

God's in His heaven—All's right with the world! (Intertitle quoting Browning's poem)

Memorable scenes

• The opening 'Dawn' scene where the light slowly fills Pippa's room as she wakes up for her one day of freedom.
• The scene where the adulterous lovers, Ottima and Sebald, are stopped in their tracks by the sound of Pippa's voice outside their window.
• The final scene where Pippa returns to her room at night, tired but happy, saying her prayers while the audience knows she has saved several souls.

What audiences thought

The film was a significant success with audiences of the day, particularly those who frequented the more upscale 'picture palaces' that were beginning to emerge. Its moralistic tone resonated with the Victorian sensibilities of the era, and the 'healing' power of Pippa's song provided a sentimental appeal that made it one of Biograph's most requested titles for years after its initial release.

Film connections

Influenced by

• Pippa Passes (verse drama by Robert Browning)
• Victorian moralist painting
• The theatrical work of David Belasco

This film influenced

• Intolerance (1916)
• The Wind (1928)
• Magnolia (1999) - for its 'interconnected lives' structure

Film restoration

The film is preserved. It was originally restored from a paper print held by the Library of Congress. A 16mm projection print is also held by the Browning Institute.

Where to watch

• Internet Archive
• YouTube (Silent Hall of Fame channel)
• Library of Congress (National Film Registry)
• Various 'D.W. Griffith: Years of Discovery' DVD/Blu-ray collections