THE ESCAPE (1914) Lost Film D.W. Griffith 2nd Feature Film Sweet, Marsh, Harron

Description

This is a vintage original herald from the lost silent film social drama,
THE ESCAPE
, released in 1914 by the Mutual Film Corporation and
directed by D.W. Griffith
. This seven-reel feature film depicted a dramatic comparison between the mating habits of animals and the way humans choose their own partners and it touches on such topics as syphilis and prostitution.
The Escape
was only the second feature-length film directed by D.W. Griffith after he left the Biograph Company
. This vintage original herald measures 4 x 9 in. when closed. The front cover notes that this was "D.W. Griffith's Greatest All-Star Feature Film" that was founded on Paul Armstrong's play of the same name was was "showing the Escape of a Woman from Poverty and Degradation, through Sin, Suffering and Sorrow to a Better Life." The herald open to reveal three black-and-white photographic scenes from this lost film with a description of the story beneath them. One of the pages features a detailed "Synopsis" as well as a cast list of the major characters. The back cover lists the major characters as well.
This vintage original herald is extremely rare and is
the only
piece
of original memorabilia of any
format
that we have seen from this film
. It is unrestored and in good- condition only with a 2.5 in. horizontal tear starting at the left edge beneath the top when the herald is folded, which also affects the middle and right sections in the same area. There are small nicks and tears on the outer edges; the first of two fold lines has separated along the bottom 5 inches; and there is a small tear on the bottom of the second (right) fold line.
The Escape
was based on a play by Paul Armstrong, a prolific playwright best known for his properties
Alias Jimmy Valentine
(1910) and
Salomy Jane
(1907). Griffith's film version was begun first, finished second, but released third among the cycle of five films he made at Reliance-Majestic Studios between his departure from the Biograph Company and the advent of
The Birth of a Nation
(1915). Filming of
The Escape
began in New York City but was completed in Los Angeles, partly due to an illness in the cast (actress Blanche Sweet). There was a long delay in getting it out; although Mutual Film finally released it on June 1, 1914, response to
The Escape
was of a mixed character and the film was released on the States' Rights market by the end of the year. Lillian Gish recalled
The Escape
as one of the finest films Griffith ever made, whereas Griffith himself regarded its failure as a momentary distraction during the planning stages of
The Birth of a Nation
.
Iris Barry (of MoMA) first reported
The Escape
as a lost film in 1940 and, despite an international search for Griffith's film output lasting the decades since,
The Escape
remains one among a small handful of Griffith features that have never been located.
Plot: The film begins with a short prologue explaining the science of Eugenics; contrasting the careful selection observed in the animal world with the less predictable breeding habits of humans. This is illustrated by the story of the Joyce family, headed by Jim Joyce (F.A. Turner), a cruel and senseless man. Joyce's son Larry (Robert Harron) is by nature a sensitive kid, but Jim Joyce turns him into a heartless monster, strangling a cat as a sort of coming of age ritual.
Larry Joyce contracts a case of syphilis, and seeks out treatment from Doctor Von Eiden (Owen Moore), who also takes a keen interest in Larry's sister May (Blanche Sweet). Von Eiden encourages May to make a break with her family, and she succeeds. However she is unable to find employment and enters into a relationship with a wealthy senator (Ralph Lewis) as a kept woman. While May will not marry the Senator, her sister Jennie (Mae Marsh) does marry a man named "Bull" McGee (Donald Crisp), an abusive lout just like her father. Their infant child is killed when McGee trips over its cradle in a drunken stupor, and Jennie becomes delusional, endlessly rocking the cradle with a doll inside. McGee is repulsed by her condition and puts Jennie away quietly through selling her into prostitution. May manages to wrest Jennie away from this peril, but Jennie expires soon after. Von Eiden, however, has managed to restore Larry's original sensitivity through a surgical procedure; May has broken off the relationship with the Senator and agrees to marry Von Eiden.