Judith of Bethulia (1914)

Director:

D.W. Griffith

Writers:

Thomas Bailey Aldrich (poem) (play)
D.W. Griffith (writer)

Release Date:

8 March 1914 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Biography | Drama | History | Romance

Plot:

A fascinating work of high artistry, "Judith of Bethulia" will not only rank as an achievement in this country...

Plot Keywords:

Bible | Melodrama | Male Female Relationship | Based On Play | Character Name In Title

Cast

Blanche Sweet	...	Judith
Henry B. Walthall	...	Holofernes
Mae Marsh	...	Naomi
Robert Harron	...	Nathan
Lillian Gish	...	The young mother
Dorothy Gish	...	The crippled beggar
Kate Bruce	...	Judith's maid
J. Jiquel Lanoe	...	Eunuch Attendant
Harry Carey	...	Assyrian Traitor
W. Chrystie Miller	...	Bethulian
Gertrude Robinson
Charles Hill Mailes	...	Bethulian Soldier
Edward Dillon
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gertrude Bambrick	...	Lead Assyrian Dancer
Lionel Barrymore	...	Extra
Clara T. Bracy	...	Bethulian
Kathleen Butler	...	Bethulian
William J. Butler	...	Bethulian
Christy Cabanne
William A. Carroll	...	Assyrian Soldier (as William Carroll)
Frank Evans	...	Bethulian Soldier
Mary Gish
Harry Hyde	...	Bethulian Soldier / Assyrian Soldier
Thomas Jefferson
Jennie Lee	...	Bethulian
Adolph Lestina	...	Bethulian
Elmo Lincoln
Antonio Moreno	...	Extra
Marshall Neilan
Frank Opperman	...	Bethulian
Alfred Paget	...	Bethulian / Assyrian Soldier
W.C. Robinson	...	Bethulian Soldier
Kate Toncray	...	One of Judith's Servants

Also Known As:

Her Condoned Sin (International: English title) (reissue title)

Runtime:

USA:61 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Filming Locations:

Biograph Studios, Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Biograph Company

Trivia:

The original company that made "Judith of Bethulia" (American Mutoscope & Biograph Co.) is in development and planning a feature re-make of the film.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Judith goes out into the city and begins to bless the young mother's baby, an extra enters the shot in the left foreground, blocking the action. She or he quickly retreats back out of view, as someone obviously yelled out.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Hollywood" (1980)

Stunning Blanche Sweet

The first feature-length film from DW Griffith, JUDITH OF BETHULIA tells the story of a young widow who saves her city (Bethulia) from the Assyrians by an act of treachery.

It's a warm-up for Griffith's masterpiece, INTOLERANCE, a few years later but still has merit of its own despite hammy acting and lackluster sets.

Blanche Sweet (then 18) stars as Judith and is very pretty but the acting style (it is 1914 after all) is still crude with waving arms and long dramatic poses. Henry B. Walthall is the head of the Assyrian army, Mae Marsh and Robert Harron play the young lovers, Lillian Gish is a young mother, Dorothy Gish is a young cripple, Kate Bruce is the loyal maid, Harry Carey is the traitor.

The extras (in heavy makeup) include Lionel Barrymore, Antonio Moreno, Elmo Lincoln, Mary Gish (mother of the stars), and someone named J. Jiquel Lanoe who is quite excellent as the head eunuch.

Certainly worth a look but this seems very amateurish compared to what was coming. The film is also famous for going well over budget and getting Griffith fired from Biograph Studio.