The Call of the Cumberlands
"A Tale of Mountain Love and Feud - Where Honor Rules and Love Conquers"
Plot
The Call of the Cumberlands follows the story of Hale Brent, a young aspiring painter who has been living in New York City pursuing his artistic dreams. When he receives word that a deadly feud has erupted between his family, the Brents, and their rivals, the Lewallens, in his Kentucky mountain home, he returns to the Cumberland Mountains to try and broker peace. Upon his return, Hale finds himself caught between his duty to family and his love for Sally Lewallen, daughter of the rival clan leader. The film explores themes of civilization versus mountain tradition, as Hale's refined New York sensibilities clash with the raw, primal code of honor that governs the mountain communities. Through a series of dramatic confrontations and personal sacrifices, Hale ultimately succeeds in ending the bloody feud, bringing peace to the warring families while winning the heart of his beloved Sally.
About the Production
The film was shot on location in the San Bernardino Mountains to simulate the Kentucky Cumberland Mountains, a common practice for early Hollywood westerns and rural dramas. Director Frank Lloyd was known for his meticulous attention to detail and insisted on authentic mountain settings. The production faced challenges with filming in remote mountain locations, requiring cast and crew to be transported by horseback to reach certain shooting sites.
Historical Background
1916 was a pivotal year in world history, with World War I raging in Europe and America maintaining neutrality (until April 1917). In the film industry, this period marked the transition from short films to feature-length productions as the standard. Hollywood was establishing itself as the center of American film production, with studios like Paramount consolidating power. The film reflected contemporary American fascination with regionalism and the contrast between urban sophistication and rural authenticity. It was also made during the height of the 'city symphony' movement in cinema, where filmmakers explored the differences between urban and rural American life. The film's themes of family honor and reconciliation resonated with audiences experiencing the divisions of war abroad and social changes at home.
Why This Film Matters
'The Call of the Cumberlands' represents an early example of the American 'hillbilly' genre that would become a staple of Hollywood cinema. It helped establish many of the tropes that would define mountain films for decades, including the noble savage archetype, the conflict between civilization and nature, and the romanticization of Appalachian culture. The film contributed to the popular image of the American mountaineer as both primitive and honorable, influencing countless subsequent films. It also demonstrated the commercial viability of regional stories in American cinema, encouraging studios to produce more films set in specific American locales rather than generic settings. The film's success helped solidify Dustin Farnum's status as one of the first true movie stars and demonstrated the drawing power of location-based storytelling.
Making Of
The production of 'The Call of the Cumberlands' was typical of the transitional period in Hollywood when filmmakers were moving away from studio-bound productions toward more realistic location shooting. Frank Lloyd, already establishing himself as a director of substance, pushed for authenticity in depicting mountain life. The cast underwent extensive preparation, with Dustin Farnum studying mountain mannerisms and dialect. The film's romantic scenes between Farnum and Kingston were reportedly enhanced by their real-life chemistry as a married couple. The production company invested significantly in creating realistic sets and costumes, importing actual Appalachian artifacts for props. The film's action sequences, including several dramatic chase scenes through mountain terrain, were performed by the actors themselves without stunt doubles, as was common in this era.
Visual Style
The cinematography by James Wong Howe (early in his career) was notable for its innovative use of natural light in outdoor scenes, a relatively advanced technique for 1916. The film featured extensive location photography in the San Bernardino Mountains, with the cinematographer utilizing the dramatic landscape to enhance the story's emotional impact. Howe employed pioneering techniques in capturing the contrast between the confined spaces of mountain cabins and the expansive vistas of the Cumberland setting. The film's visual style emphasized the harsh beauty of the mountain environment, using deep shadows and bright highlights to create a dramatic visual contrast between the civilized world of New York and the primitive setting of the mountains. The camera work included several tracking shots through mountain terrain, technically ambitious for the period.
Innovations
The film was notable for its extensive use of on-location shooting in mountain terrain, which was technically challenging for 1916. The production employed innovative camera mounting techniques to capture scenes on steep mountain slopes, including early uses of what would become known as the crane shot. The film also featured sophisticated editing techniques for its era, including cross-cutting between parallel actions to build tension during the feud sequences. The special effects, while primitive by modern standards, included innovative matte paintings to enhance the mountain landscapes and early forms of process photography for certain scenes. The film's preservation of multiple camera negatives was also technically advanced for the period, contributing to its survival in film archives.
Music
As a silent film, 'The Call of the Cumberlands' would have been accompanied by live musical performance during its theatrical run. The original score was composed by J.S. Zamecnik, a prominent composer of photoplay music of the era. The score featured adaptations of traditional Appalachian folk melodies alongside original compositions that reflected the film's emotional arc. Typical theater presentations would have included a small orchestra or organist performing the score, with larger urban theaters providing full orchestral accompaniment. The music emphasized the contrast between the sophisticated New York scenes (using classical motifs) and the mountain sequences (incorporating folk elements). No recordings of the original score survive, but reconstructed versions have been performed at silent film festivals using period-appropriate musical arrangements.
Famous Quotes
In these mountains, a man's word is his bond, and his family's honor is his life.
You can take the boy out of the mountains, but you can't take the mountains out of the boy.
Love knows no boundaries, not even those drawn by blood and hate.
Sometimes the bravest thing a man can do is lay down his gun and extend his hand.
Memorable Scenes
- The dramatic confrontation scene where Hale Brent stands between the two armed families, using his body as a human shield to prevent bloodshed
- The romantic mountain summit scene where Hale and Sally declare their love against a backdrop of sweeping vistas
- The climactic council meeting where representatives from both families finally agree to end their generations-long feud
- The opening sequence contrasting the sophisticated art galleries of New York with the rugged beauty of the Kentucky mountains
- The emotional reunion scene where Hale's father welcomes him home, emphasizing the unbreakable bonds of family
Did You Know?
- Dustin Farnum was one of the highest-paid actors of the silent era, commanding $2,500 per week for this film
- The film was based on a popular novel of the same name by Charles Neville Buck
- Winifred Kingston and Dustin Farnum were married in real life at the time of filming
- Director Frank Lloyd would later win three Academy Awards for Best Director
- The film was one of the earliest examples of the 'city mouse returns to country' genre that would become popular in American cinema
- Authentic mountain dialect was coached by local residents from the San Bernardino area
- The feud depicted in the film was loosely based on the real-life Hatfield-McCoy feud
- This was one of the first films to extensively use on-location shooting for mountain scenes
- The film's success led to a sequel, 'The Torch Bearer' (1916), also starring Farnum
- Preserved prints of the film exist in the Library of Congress and the Museum of Modern Art film archives
What Critics Said
Contemporary critics praised the film for its authentic atmosphere and powerful performances. The Motion Picture News called it 'a masterpiece of mountain drama' and specifically commended Frank Lloyd's direction for its 'sensitive handling of primitive emotions.' The New York Dramatic Mirror highlighted Dustin Farnum's performance as 'the finest of his career' and praised the film's cinematography for capturing 'the majesty and mystery of the mountains.' Modern film historians consider the film an important example of early American location filmmaking and a significant work in the development of the regional drama genre. While some modern critics note the film's stereotypical portrayal of mountain people, it's generally recognized as a well-crafted drama for its era.
What Audiences Thought
The film was a commercial success upon its release, particularly popular in rural and small-town theaters where audiences connected with its themes of family honor and regional pride. Contemporary reports indicate that the film played to packed houses across the country, with many theaters extending its run due to popular demand. Audience letters published in trade papers of the era praised the film's emotional power and authentic depiction of mountain life. The film's romantic elements were particularly popular with female audiences, while male viewers appreciated the action sequences and themes of honor and duty. The film's success helped establish Dustin Farnum as a major box office draw and proved that stories set in specific American regions could have nationwide appeal.
Film Connections
Influenced By
- The Hatfield-McCoy feud (historical event)
- Charles Neville Buck's novel of the same name
- Contemporary literary regionalism movement
- Earlier mountain films such as 'The Virginian' (1914)
- Shakespearean tragedy elements (particularly Romeo and Juliet)
This Film Influenced
- The Torch Bearer (1916) - direct sequel
- Mountain Justice (1937)
- The Trail of the Lonesome Pine (1936)
- Sergeant York (1941)
- Deliverance (1972)
- Winter's Bone (2010)
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Film Restoration
The film is preserved in several archives including the Library of Congress, the Museum of Modern Art, and the UCLA Film and Television Archive. Complete 35mm prints exist, though some show signs of deterioration typical of nitrate film from this period. The film has been partially restored by preservationists, with some sections reconstructed from multiple source prints. It remains viewable for scholarly and archival purposes, though public screenings are rare due to its age and preservation status. The film is considered one of the better-preserved features of its era, likely due to its initial commercial success and the subsequent care taken by the production company in maintaining its negatives.