The Voice of the Violin
About The Voice of the Violin
Herr von Schmidt teaches violin and loves his pupil Helen Walker. She turns him down because he is poor. He joins a group that draws lots for who will plant the next bomb in a rich man's house. The house is her father's. He tries to stop the job. An accomplice overpowers him, ties him, and leaves him with the bomb. He crawls to it and bites the fuse apart as the flame is a few inches from the charge.
Cast & crew
More about The Voice of the Violin
D. W. Griffith directed and wrote the one-reeler. G. W. Bitzer and Arthur Marvin photographed it. Biograph copyrighted it on 17 March 1909, H124289, and released it on 18 March 1909. The length is 978 feet. Arthur V. Johnson plays von Schmidt. Marion Leonard plays Helen. Frank Powell plays Mr. Walker. David Miles plays the group's leader. Wikipedia calls the group communist. A shorter synopsis calls them anarchists.
Themes
Making
Griffith shot the short on West 12th Street in Manhattan. The last action is a man on the floor with the fuse in his teeth.
Look
G. W. Bitzer and Arthur Marvin photographed the lesson, the meeting where the lot is drawn, and the crawl to the bomb.
Music
Silent.
Preservation
A paper print is at the Library of Congress. A 35mm print is at the George Eastman Museum.
Notes
- Linda Arvidson, John R. Cumpson, and Adele DeGarde are at the party, uncredited.
- Clara T. Bracy and Gladys Egan are also on the Biograph cast list.
- A paper print is at the Library of Congress.
- A 35mm print is at the George Eastman Museum.
- The fuse is bitten through, not pulled, because his hands are tied.
Scenes
- Von Schmidt draws the lot and then sees that the house is Helen's.
- Tied hand and foot, he reaches the bomb and bites the fuse.
Also available
- Internet Archive (TheVoiceOfTheViolin)
