George Gebhardt and Edward Dillon
Directed by D.W. Griffith, Wallace McCutcheon Jr.
Cinematography by Billy Bitzer, Arthur Marvin
Starring Edward Dillon, George Gebhardt, Mack Sennett, D.W. Griffith, Anthony O'Sullivan
Distributed by Biograph Company
Release date July 25, 1908
Country United States
Running time 10 m.
This film is part of our series 'Hidden Gems'. It can be watched by registered users who make a donation. For more details, please click here.
"The Black Viper" is a short crime drama. The film is included in our program to illustrate the work of our star cinematographer Billy Bitzer.
A man saves a girl after she is attacked in the street by a thug nicknamed Viper. Later the thug comes back with a gang, overpowers the man and takes him away on a cart. The girl organizes a pursuit with the help of friends, and they chase the gang on a rocky mountain terrain.
D.W. Griffith plays the role of one of the rescuers in addition to the director's job.
We trust that silent film lovers will not judge harshly the quality of the print. Many early D.W. Griffith films are only available in a paper print format, and we are all very lucky that they have survived the trials of time for us to enjoy.
Click to enlarge:
The Black Viper
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George Gebhardt is a thug attacking a girl in "The Black Viper" (1908).
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George Gebhardt is knocked down by the girl's friend Edward Dillon in "The Black Viper" (1908).
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George Gebhardt summons his gang for revenge in "The Black Viper" (1908).
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The girl and Edward Dillon go for a walk in "The Black Viper" (1908).
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The gang overpowers Edward Dillon and takes him away in "The Black Viper" (1908).
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D.W. Griffith is the rescuer putting his hat on in "The Black Viper" (1908).
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The gang throws rocks at the persecutors in "The Black Viper" (1908).
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D.W. Griffith and Mack Sennett close in on the gang in "The Black Viper" (1908).
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The thugs lock their hostage inside and set the cabin on fire in "The Black Viper" (1908).
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George Gebhardt and Edward Dillon get into a fist fight again in "The Black Viper" (1908).
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Below is a short preview of the film.