The Lonedale Operator (1911)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Writers:

Release Date:

23 March 1911 (USA)

Genre:

Short | Drama | Romance | Western

Plot:

When her father becomes ill, a young woman takes over the telegraph at a lonely western railroad station...

Plot Keywords:

Train | Telegraph | Payroll | Melodrama | Wrench

Cast

Verner Clarges	...	In Payroll Office
Guy Hedlund	...	On Train
Jeanie Macpherson	...	In Payroll Office
W.C. Robinson	...	In Payroll Office

Runtime:

17 min (16 fps)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Inglewood, California, USA

Company:

Biograph Company

Trivia:

One of the 50 films in the 4-disk boxed DVD set called "Treasures from American Film Archives (2000)", compiled by the National Film Preservation Foundation from 18 American film archives. This film was preserved by the Museum of Modern Art. This version has a piano music score and runs 17 minutes.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Since the movie was shot on an open-air set, the wind blows the paper's on the desk in the office as well as the clothes of the actors and Blanche Sweet's hair.

Movie Connections:

Remade as The Girl and Her Trust (1912)

A case of déjà vu!

Wow was I confused when I saw this movie from 1911. I didn't recall having seen THE LONEDALE OPERATOR when I started the film, but soon after it started it was like a case of déjà vu. I KNEW I had seen the film before and even reviewed it on IMDb but I didn't remember it as being called 'THE LONEDALE OPERATOR'. After a little checking, I found that the film I had seen was THE GIRL AND HER TRUST (1912) and the films were virtually identical. And, oddly enough, both are 17 minutes long (though the speed at which the films are cranked may make this slightly longer or shorter). This really isn't too surprising, though, as when the film was made back in 1911, outright plagiarism was common and pretty much condoned and many times the same production company would remake their films only a year or so later! Often, the same film would be made by two or three or even more production companies--sometimes even with the same movie title! So it's very easy to understand the confusion.

Now as for the film itself, it's a very good early full-length movie. Believe it or not, 17 minutes make this a very long film for 1911--as most films were less than five minutes long!! Because of its "great length", the film has a good plot and is quite entertaining. Compared to other films of the age, it is a standout picture in practically every way.