"Pippa Passes" (1909)

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OUR DOCUMENTARY

We are proud to present to all silent film lovers our multiple award-winning documentary! In March 2015 it won the distinction "Award of Merit" at the San Francisco Film Awards. In May it won the Silver Award at the 2015 International Independent Film Awards. In September 2015 it won the Award of Recognition at the Accolade Global Film Competition. Of equal merit is the inclusion of the documentary in the Official Selection of the San Jose International Short Film Festival in October 2015. In December the documentary won the extremely prestigious Diamond Award at the 2015 California Film Awards. The amazing run of recognition for our documentary continued in 2016. In February it was included in the Official Selection of the Buffalo Niagara International Film Festival.

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Arthur V Johnson in Pippa Passes 1909 director DW Griffith 07

Arthur V. Johnson

Directed by       D.W. Griffith
Cinematography by       Billy Bitzer, Arthur Marvin
Starring       Gertrude Robinson, Marion Leonard, Arthur V. Johnson, Mack Sennett, Owen Moore
Distributed by       Biograph Company
Release date    October 4, 1909
Country       United States
Running time          14 m.

"Pippa Passes" is a short drama directed by D.W. Griffith. The film is included in our program to illustrate the work of our stars cinematographer Billy Bitzer and Arthur V. Johnson. Billy Bitzer shares the cinematography credit with Arthur Marvin. Arthur V. Johnson plays a character by the name of Luca.

The film is based on the verse drama by the 19 century English poet Robert Browning. Apparently the poem was very popular, judging by these facts:
- This was the first film to be reviewed by the New York Times newspaper
- there is a town by the name of Pippa Passes in Kentucky

A girl sings with a lute and the song has a healing effect.

Click to enlarge: