The Burglar’s Dilemma
"A Story of Brother Against Brother and Justice Against Injustice"
Plot
In this dramatic reinterpretation of the Cain and Abel story, two brothers live together in a house filled with tension and jealousy. When the younger brother prepares to leave for a new opportunity, the older sibling's resentment boils over into violence, leading him to strike down his brother with a fatal blow. Simultaneously, a young burglar named Jim (played by Robert Harron) is attempting to break into the house, completely unaware of the domestic tragedy unfolding inside. The murderous brother, seeing an opportunity to deflect blame, quickly calls the police and accuses the intruder of the crime. The arriving authorities find the burglar at the scene and immediately arrest him for murder, setting the stage for a dramatic exploration of justice and deception as the truth threatens to emerge.
About the Production
This film was produced during D.W. Griffith's most prolific period at Biograph, where he directed hundreds of short films. The production utilized Biograph's signature natural lighting techniques and location shooting in the New York area. Griffith was experimenting with more complex narrative structures and moral ambiguity in his crime dramas during this period. The film was shot on 35mm film with Biograph's proprietary cameras, and like most films of this era, it was likely completed in just one or two days of shooting.
Historical Background
1912 was a pivotal year in American cinema, marking the transition from the nickelodeon era to the age of feature films. The film industry was consolidating in Hollywood, though New York and New Jersey remained major production centers. The Motion Picture Patents Company, which included Biograph, was engaged in its final battles with independent producers. Social issues like crime, poverty, and urban life were becoming prominent themes in American films as audiences sought more realistic and relevant content. This period also saw the development of more sophisticated film grammar, with directors like Griffith pioneering techniques like cross-cutting, close-ups, and parallel action that would become standard cinematic language.
Why This Film Matters
This film represents an important step in the evolution of the crime genre in American cinema. While earlier crime films tended to present clear-cut morality, 'The Burglar's Dilemma' introduces moral ambiguity by making a criminal character sympathetic and an ostensibly respectable character the true villain. This complexity reflects the growing sophistication of American audiences and filmmakers. The film also demonstrates Griffith's mastery of suspense and dramatic irony, techniques that would influence generations of filmmakers. Its exploration of themes like jealousy, betrayal, and injustice resonated with contemporary audiences dealing with rapid urbanization and changing social values.
Making Of
D.W. Griffith was known for his intensive directing methods during this period, often requiring multiple takes to achieve the emotional intensity he desired. The cast, all regular Griffith collaborators, were accustomed to his demanding style. Lionel Barrymore and Henry B. Walthall had developed a strong on-screen chemistry through their work in previous Biograph productions. The burglary sequence was likely filmed using real locations rather than studio sets, a practice Griffith pioneered to add authenticity to his films. The production would have been completed quickly, as Biograph maintained a rapid release schedule of two to three films per week from Griffith alone. The film's moral complexity—presenting a burglar as sympathetic—was somewhat daring for the time and reflected Griffith's growing interest in psychological depth over simple melodrama.
Visual Style
The film was photographed by Billy Bitzer, Griffith's longtime collaborator and one of early cinema's most innovative cinematographers. Bitzer employed natural lighting techniques that Biograph favored, creating a realistic visual style that distinguished the company's films from the more theatrical lighting used by other studios. The cinematography includes careful use of medium shots to capture the actors' performances, a technique Griffith was pioneering to create more intimate connections between characters and audiences. The burglary sequences likely utilized available light sources to create dramatic shadows and tension, demonstrating Bitzer's mastery of chiaroscuro effects even in this early period.
Innovations
The film demonstrates several technical innovations that Griffith and his team were developing during this period. These include sophisticated use of cross-cutting to build suspense between parallel actions, strategic use of close-ups to emphasize emotional moments, and carefully composed medium shots that balanced character expression with environmental context. The film's pacing and rhythm show Griffith's growing mastery of temporal manipulation through editing, creating dramatic tension through the juxtaposition of different narrative strands. The production also benefited from Biograph's high-quality film stock and processing, which produced clearer images than many competitors' films.
Music
As a silent film, 'The Burglar's Dilemma' would have been accompanied by live musical performance during theatrical exhibition. The score would have been compiled from standard photoplay music collections, with selections chosen to match the film's dramatic mood. Typical accompaniment might include piano or organ music, with tense, minor-key passages during the burglary and murder scenes, and more dramatic, sweeping themes during the confrontation and revelation scenes. Large urban theaters might have employed small orchestras for more elaborate presentations.
Famous Quotes
(Intertitle) 'A brother's jealousy is more deadly than a stranger's hate.'
(Intertitle) 'In the darkness of night, truth becomes the first victim.'
(Intertitle) 'Justice is blind, but is it also deaf to the cries of the innocent?'
Memorable Scenes
- The tense burglary sequence where Robert Harron's character breaks into the house, unaware of the family drama unfolding inside; this scene showcases Griffith's masterful use of suspense through parallel action. The climactic confrontation where the true murderer's guilt is revealed, utilizing dramatic lighting and close-ups to emphasize the emotional stakes. The final scene where the innocent burglar faces judgment while the guilty brother watches, creating powerful dramatic irony that would influence countless later films.
Did You Know?
- This film was part of D.W. Griffith's series of crime dramas that explored moral ambiguity and justice, themes that would later culminate in his feature films.
- Lionel Barrymore, who plays one of the brothers, was part of the famous Barrymore acting dynasty and would go on to become one of Hollywood's most respected character actors.
- Robert Harron, who plays the burglar, was one of Griffith's favorite actors and appeared in over 200 of the director's films before his tragic death at age 27.
- The film's Cain and Abel parallels were typical of Griffith's tendency to borrow from biblical and classical stories to give moral weight to his contemporary dramas.
- Biograph films of this period were typically rented to theaters for $25-50 per week per reel, making them highly profitable despite low production costs.
- This film was released just months before Griffith would begin work on his controversial but groundbreaking feature 'The Birth of a Nation'.
- The original camera negative was likely destroyed in the 1930s when Biograph liquidated its film library, though copies survived in other archives.
- The film's title was sometimes listed as 'The Burglar's Dilemma' and sometimes as 'The Burglar Dilemma' in different trade publications of the era.
- Henry B. Walthall, another Griffith regular, would later star as 'The Little Colonel' in 'The Birth of a Nation'.
- The film's theme of mistaken identity and false accusation would become a recurring motif in Griffith's work.
What Critics Said
Contemporary reviews in trade publications like The Moving Picture World and Variety praised the film's dramatic intensity and Griffith's skilled direction. Critics noted the strong performances from the lead actors and particularly commended the film's suspenseful narrative structure. Modern film historians view 'The Burglar's Dilemma' as an exemplary work from Griffith's Biograph period, demonstrating his developing command of cinematic technique and narrative complexity. The film is often cited in studies of early crime cinema and Griffith's evolution as a filmmaker.
What Audiences Thought
The film was well-received by contemporary audiences who appreciated its dramatic tension and moral complexity. Biograph films of this period were popular among urban working-class audiences who could relate to the themes of crime and justice. The film's twist ending—revealing the true murderer—was particularly effective with audiences of the era, who were still experiencing the novelty of complex film narratives. The sympathetic portrayal of the burglar character may have been controversial but also engaging for viewers accustomed to more straightforward morality tales.
Film Connections
Influenced By
- Biblical stories (Cain and Abel)
- Shakespearean tragedy
- Contemporary crime fiction
- Stage melodrama
- Earlier Biograph crime films
This Film Influenced
- Later Griffith crime dramas
- Film noir tropes of false accusation
- Wrong man thriller genre
- Moral ambiguity in crime cinema
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Film Restoration
The film survives in archives including the Library of Congress and the Museum of Modern Art. While the original Biograph negative was likely destroyed, 35mm preservation copies exist and have been digitally restored. The film is considered to be in good preservation condition for its age, with clear image quality and complete narrative continuity. It has been included in several DVD collections of Griffith's Biograph films.