The Black Stork

About the production

The film was a collaboration between the Wharton brothers and Dr. Harry J. Haiselden, who played himself in the film. It was shot on five reels and utilized local residents of Ithaca as extras. The production was intended as a propaganda piece to support Haiselden's real-life refusal to treat 'defective' infants at the German-American Hospital in Chicago.

Themes

Themes & topics

Historical background

Released in 1917, The Black Stork reached audiences during the silent era, when exhibition and production norms differed sharply from today's.

Why this film matters

The Black Stork is cited in databases and retrospective programs mapping 1917 cinema.

Making of

The Wharton brothers, Leopold and Theodore, were known for their action serials like 'The Perils of Pauline' but took a stark turn into social propaganda with this project. Dr. Haiselden was deeply involved in the production, viewing the film as a tool for public education on eugenics. The production faced significant challenges from local censorship boards even during filming, as the moral implications of 'mercy killing' were highly polarizing. The film was shot quickly in Ithaca, utilizing the natural gorges and parks to create a backdrop for the 'vision' sequences and the dramatic medical consultations.

What critics said

Modern notes on The Black Stork emphasize preservation, stylistic choices, and its place within director or studio filmographies.

Did you know?

• The film is a fictionalized account of the 1915 'Baby Bollinger' case, where Dr. Haiselden allowed a disabled infant to die.
• Dr. Harry J. Haiselden, the real-life surgeon at the center of the controversy, stars as the fictionalized version of himself (Dr. Dickey).
• The title 'The Black Stork' refers to a folk belief that black storks kill their own unhealthy or weak hatchlings.
• The film was re-released in 1927 under the title 'Are You Fit to Marry?' with a new framing device.
• Famous social activist Helen Keller actually wrote a letter in support of Dr. Haiselden's actions portrayed in the film.
• The film includes actual documentary footage of individuals in mental institutions to serve as a 'warning' to the audience.
• It was one of the first films to be explicitly banned by the Pennsylvania Board of Censors for its subject matter.
• The 1927 re-release version is the only one that survives in a viewable format today.

Visual style

The film uses standard silent-era techniques but is notable for its 'vision' sequences, which employ double exposures and ethereal lighting to depict the baby's soul and the mother's premonitions. It also utilizes 'Iris In' and 'Iris Out' transitions frequently to emphasize specific medical details or emotional reactions.

Innovations

The film is technically significant for its early use of documentary-style 'actuality' footage (showing real patients in institutions) spliced into a fictional narrative to lend a sense of scientific authority to the propaganda.

Music

As a silent film, it had no synchronized soundtrack. Original screenings were often accompanied by live piano or organ music, and sometimes by a live lecture from Dr. Haiselden himself to explain the eugenic principles on screen.

Famous quotes

God does not want this child to live.

This death came to me as the greatest victory of my career.

I have never been able to regard Baby Bollinger as a human being. I was never able to believe that It could ever be more than a 'thing'.

Memorable scenes

• The Vision of the Future: Anne sees her child as a grown man, hunched and miserable, leading a life of crime and suffering.
• The Ascension: The final scene where the infant's soul leaves its body and is received by a figure representing Jesus Christ.
• The Examination: Dr. Dickey lecturing the young couple on the 'tainted' nature of their bloodlines using charts and diagrams.

What audiences thought

Audience reaction was deeply divided; while many were horrified by the advocacy of infanticide, the film drew large crowds due to the sensationalism of the real-life Bollinger case. It remained in circulation for decades, appearing in traveling shows as late as 1942, indicating a persistent, if morbid, public fascination with the topic.

Film connections

Influenced by

• The Baby Bollinger Case (1915)
• The works of Francis Galton
• Early 20th-century social hygiene films

This film influenced

• Are You Fit to Marry? (1927)
• Homo Sapiens 1900 (1998) - contains footage
• Tomorrow's Children (1934)

Film restoration

The original 1917 version is largely considered lost or incomplete; however, the 1927 re-release 'Are You Fit to Marry?' was discovered and preserved by historians, including Martin Pernick.

Where to watch

• National Film Registry (Library of Congress archives)
• Specialized historical DVD collections (e.g., 'The Black Stork' by Martin Pernick)
• Public domain archives on YouTube (1927 version)