The Musketeers of Pig Alley

The Musketeers of Pig Alley
Stylized title card with The Musketeers of Pig Alley in serif
Title card
Directed byD. W. Griffith
Written by
Starring
Music byRobert Israel
Distributed byGeneral Film Company
Release dates
  • October 31, 1912 (1912-10-31)
  • November 5, 1915 (1915-11-05) (U.S.)
Running time
17 minutes (16 frames per second)
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)

The Musketeers of Pig Alley is a 1912 American short drama and a gangster film. It is directed by D. W. Griffith and written by Griffith and Anita Loos. It is also credited for its early use of follow focus, a fundamental tool in cinematography.[1]

The film was released on October 31, 1912, and re-released on November 5, 1915, in the United States. The film was shot in Fort Lee, New Jersey where many other early film studios in America's first motion picture industry were based at the beginning of the 20th century.[2][3][4] Location shots in New York City reportedly used actual street gang members as extras during the film.

In 2016, the film was added to the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Plot

The film is about a poor married couple living in New York City. The husband works as a musician and must often travel for work. When returning, his wallet is taken by a gangster. His wife goes to a ball where a man tries to drug her, but his attempt is stopped by the same man who robbed the husband. The two criminals become rivals, and a shootout ensues. The husband gets caught in the shootout and recognizes one of the men as the gangster who took his money. The husband sneaks his wallet back and the gangster goes to safety in the couple's apartment. Policemen track the gangster down but the wife gives him a false alibi.

Cast

  • Elmer Booth as Snapper Kid, Musketeers Gang Leader
  • Lillian Gish as The Little Lady
  • Clara T. Bracy as The Little Lady's Mother
  • Walter Miller as The Musician
  • Alfred Paget as Rival Gang Leader
  • John T. Dillon as Policeman
  • Madge Kirby as The Little Lady's Friend / In Alley
  • Harry Carey as Snapper's Sidekick
  • Robert Harron as Rival Gang Member / In Alley / At Gangster's Ball
  • W. C. Robinson as Rival Gang Member (credited as Spike Robinson)
  • Adolph Lestina as The Bartender / On Street
  • Jack Pickford as Boy Gang Member / At Dance Ball

Uncredited:

  • Gertrude Bambrick as Girl At Dance
  • Lionel Barrymore as The Musician's Friend
  • Kathleen Butler as On Street / At Dance
  • Christy Cabanne as At Dance
  • Donald Crisp as Rival Gang Member
  • Frank Evans as At Dance
  • Dorothy Gish as Girl In Street
  • Walter P. Lewis as In Alley / At Dance
  • Antonio Moreno as Musketeers Gang Member / At Dance
  • Marie Newton as At Dance
  • J. Waltham as In Alley

Influence

Black and white film still showing Lillian Gish and another woman on a street
Lillian Gish in a street scene

In his book The Movie Stars, film historian Richard Griffith wrote of the scene where Lillian Gish passes another woman on the street:

Griffith's camera in this scene happened to focus on the unforgettable face of the nameless girl in the center of the shot and a murmurous wave swept audiences at this point in the film whenever it was shown. No one knows what became of this particular extra, but such raw material, and such camera accidents, became the stuff of stardom later on.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Silent Era: PSFL: The Musketeers of Pig Alley (1912)". Archived from the original on September 19, 2000.
  2. ^ Koszarski, Richard (2004), Fort Lee: The Film Town, Rome, Italy: John Libbey Publishing -CIC srl, ISBN 0-86196-653-8
  3. ^ "Studios and Films". Fort Lee Film Commission. Retrieved May 30, 2011.
  4. ^ Fort Lee Film Commission (2006), Fort Lee Birthplace of the Motion Picture Industry, Arcadia Publishing, ISBN 0-7385-4501-5
  5. ^ Griffith, Richard (1970). The Movie Stars. Doubleday and Company. OCLC 72126382.
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