The Black Stork
"A Eugenic Love Story"
Plot
The narrative follows Claude Leffingwell and Anne Smith, a young couple who intend to marry despite the stern warnings of Dr. Horace L. Dickey, a eugenicist who identifies Claude as possessing 'tainted blood' due to his grandfather's indiscretions. Ignoring the medical advice, the couple weds and soon produces a child born with severe physical and mental disabilities that require immediate surgical intervention to ensure survival. Dr. Dickey refuses to operate, arguing that the child's life would be a burden to itself and society, leading Anne to experience a vivid, supernatural vision of her son's potential future as a shunned, criminal monstrosity. Convinced by this harrowing glimpse into a life of misery, Anne consents to the doctor's inaction; the infant dies and its soul is depicted floating into the arms of Jesus, framing the infanticide as a merciful, divinely sanctioned act.
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.
Historical Background
The film was released during the height of the American Eugenics movement, a period when 'scientific' breeding and the elimination of 'unfit' traits were widely discussed in academic and social circles. It coincided with the 1915 Baby Bollinger scandal, which sparked a national debate on euthanasia and medical ethics. The film reflects the pre-WWII American interest in social engineering, which would later be mirrored and intensified by the racial hygiene programs of Nazi Germany.
Why This Film Matters
The Black Stork is considered one of the most infamous examples of propaganda in silent cinema. It played a crucial role in mainstreaming eugenic ideology through mass media, moving the debate from medical journals to movie houses. It also marked a turning point in film censorship, as the backlash against its 'nauseating' medical depictions helped shape the restrictive standards that would eventually lead to the Hays Code.
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.
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.
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.
What Critics Said
At the time of its release, the film was panned by many critics for its poor production quality and morbid subject matter. The Chicago Daily Tribune critic Mae Tinée described it as 'cheap, sickening, and unnecessary,' noting that the photography was bad and the acting amateurish. However, it was a 'roadshow' success, often screened alongside lectures by Haiselden to packed, curious audiences.
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)
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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.