The Finger of Justice

Plot

In a city plagued by political corruption, a powerful political boss manipulates the municipal government to enrich himself and advance his political ambitions, allowing graft and criminal activity to flourish unchecked. A young, idealistic couple becomes aware of the systemic corruption and determines to expose the boss's criminal enterprise despite the personal danger involved. As they investigate and gather evidence against the corrupt machine, they face threats, intimidation, and attempts on their lives from the boss's henchmen. The couple's efforts eventually lead to a confrontation where justice must be served, though the incomplete nature of the surviving footage leaves the ultimate resolution uncertain. The film explores themes of civic duty, political reform, and the courage required to stand against entrenched corruption in early 20th century American urban life.

Historical Background

The Finger of Justice was released in March 1918, during a pivotal moment in world and American history. The United States had been involved in World War I for nearly a year, and the war effort dominated national attention and resources. The film industry, like other sectors, faced government oversight through the Committee on Public Information, which encouraged films that supported American values and the war effort. Domestically, America was in the midst of the Progressive Era, a period of widespread social activism and political reform that aimed to address problems caused by industrialization, urbanization, and political corruption. The film's theme of exposing political bosses resonated with contemporary reform movements and real-life efforts to combat urban political machines. Additionally, 1918 saw the beginning of the devastating Spanish Flu pandemic that would kill millions worldwide and temporarily close many theaters. The film also preceded the ratification of the 19th Amendment granting women's suffrage, making its depiction of a young couple working together for reform particularly timely. This historical context made The Finger of Justice part of a broader cultural conversation about American democracy, reform, and social justice during a period of unprecedented global and domestic challenges.

Making Of

The Finger of Justice was produced during a transitional period in American cinema when feature-length films were becoming more common but still faced significant production challenges. Director Louis Chaudet, a French-born filmmaker who had worked in American cinema since its earliest days, brought his efficient European production techniques to the project. The film was likely shot on the Flying A studio lot in Santa Barbara or Los Angeles, utilizing the company's extensive backlot facilities. Cast member Crane Wilbur, who would later become better known as a writer and director, was at the time an established leading man specializing in dramatic roles. The production would have used natural lighting or early artificial lighting techniques, with the camera typically remaining static as was common in 1918. The political corruption theme was handled carefully to avoid censorship issues while still delivering a reformist message that appealed to Progressive Era audiences. The incomplete survival status means many details about the actual filming process, specific techniques used, and behind-the-scenes anecdotes have been lost to history.

Visual Style

The surviving footage of The Finger of Justice demonstrates typical cinematography practices of 1918 American cinema. The film was likely shot on 35mm film using hand-cranked cameras of the era, with relatively static compositions that emphasized foreground action and character interactions. The cinematography would have utilized natural lighting from studio skylights supplemented by early artificial lighting equipment. Camera movement was minimal by modern standards, consisting primarily of slow pans or tilts to follow action within the frame. The visual style emphasized clarity and legibility to ensure audiences could follow the narrative without dialogue. Interior scenes would have been shot on studio sets with painted backdrops, while exterior scenes might have used location shooting around Los Angeles. The film's visual language included the use of iris shots to focus attention on important details or characters, a common technique of the period. The cinematography would have employed medium shots and close-ups to convey emotion and highlight important narrative moments, though these techniques were still being refined in 1918. The surviving footage suggests a competent but not innovative approach to visual storytelling, consistent with the work of an experienced director like Louis Chaudet working within the established conventions of late silent cinema.

Innovations

The Finger of Justice does not appear to have introduced significant technical innovations but represents the standard technical capabilities of American filmmaking in 1918. The film was produced using established 35mm film technology with the typical aspect ratio of the silent era (approximately 1.33:1). The production would have utilized the Mitchell camera or similar equipment standard for the period, offering improved stability and image quality over earlier cameras. The film's editing techniques would have included continuity cutting to maintain narrative flow and temporal-satial coherence, practices that had become standard by the late 1910s. The use of intertitles to convey dialogue and narrative information would have followed the typographic and design conventions of the period. The film's lighting would have demonstrated the increasing sophistication of artificial illumination techniques being developed in Hollywood studios. The surviving footage suggests competent but not groundbreaking technical execution, consistent with the work of a journeyman director like Louis Chaudet. The film's technical aspects reflect the maturation of American cinema's visual language during the transitional period between early cinema and the classical Hollywood style that would emerge in the 1920s.

Music

As a silent film, The Finger of Justice would have featured no recorded synchronized soundtrack, but would have been accompanied by live music during theatrical exhibitions. The typical accompaniment for a dramatic film of this type in 1918 would have included a pianist or small orchestra in larger theaters, performing a combination of classical pieces, popular songs, and specially composed mood music. The musical selections would have been coordinated with the on-screen action and emotional tone of each scene, with faster tempos for action sequences and slower, more melancholic pieces for dramatic moments. The political corruption theme might have been underscored with ominous or dramatic musical motifs during scenes depicting the boss's criminal activities. Theaters might have used cue sheets provided by the film distributor or relied on the musical director's discretion to select appropriate accompaniment. Some larger theaters might have employed a small ensemble including piano, violin, cello, and perhaps percussion instruments. The music would have played a crucial role in conveying emotion and narrative information in the absence of dialogue, helping audiences understand character motivations and story developments. The specific musical selections used for The Finger of Justice are not documented, as was common for most silent films of the period.

What Critics Said

Contemporary critical reception of The Finger of Justice is difficult to assess due to the passage of time and the film's partially lost status. Reviews from 1918 publications like Moving Picture World and Variety would have provided the most immediate critical assessment, but these sources are not readily accessible in modern databases. The film was produced by the reputable American Film Company and directed by the experienced Louis Chaudet, suggesting it would have received at least professional respect from industry critics. The political corruption theme was popular with Progressive Era audiences and critics who appreciated socially conscious cinema. Modern critical assessment is limited by the incomplete nature of the surviving footage, though film historians value the remaining 34 minutes as an example of late silent-era filmmaking and Progressive Era cinema. The surviving material suggests a competent production with typical 1918 visual techniques and narrative approaches. Contemporary scholars view the film primarily through the lens of its historical significance and its representation of early American cinema's engagement with social issues, rather than for its artistic innovations or entertainment value.

What Audiences Thought

Audience reception of The Finger of Justice in 1918 would have been influenced by several factors including its timely political theme, the popularity of its stars, and general moviegoing habits of the late silent era. The political corruption narrative would have resonated strongly with Progressive Era audiences who were increasingly concerned about urban reform and governmental accountability. Crane Wilbur had developed a following as a reliable leading man, which would have attracted his fans to theaters. The film's release by the American Film Company, a well-established producer, would have provided some assurance of quality to audiences. However, the film's release in March 1918 meant it faced competition from war-related news and entertainment, as well as growing public anxiety about the ongoing conflict. The subsequent Spanish Flu pandemic would have severely limited theatrical attendance in the months following its release. Without complete box office records or detailed contemporary audience accounts, it's difficult to determine the film's commercial success or popular impact. The film's themes of citizen activism and reform would have appealed to the increasingly engaged moviegoing public of the late 1910s, who saw cinema as both entertainment and a reflection of contemporary social concerns.

You Might Also Like