D.W. Griffith, Frank Powell, Henry Walthall, Arthur V. Johnson, Billy Bitzer, silent film, silent movie stars, free classic film, old movies, silent film streaming, silent era, archive films, rare films, silent social drama

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Out Yonder 1919 The Woman God Forgot 1917 That Model from Paris 1926 For Better for Worse 1919 Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall 1924

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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D.W. Griffith, Frank Powell, Henry Walthall, Arthur V. Johnson, Billy Bitzer, silent film, silent movie stars, free classic film, old movies, silent film streaming, silent era, archive films, rare films, silent social drama

"Corner in Wheat" (1909) - with film
   Arthur Johnson on the floor of the exchange

Directed by                       D.W. Griffith
Scenario                            D.W. Griffith, Frank E. Woods
Based on                            the novel The Pit (1903) by Frank Norris
Cinematography        G.W. Bitzer
Starring                             Frank Powell, Henry Walthall, Arthur Johnson
Distributed by                   Biograph Company
Release date                      December 13, 1909
Country                             United States
Running time                    14 m.

"Corner in Wheat" is a short social drama, directed by D.W. Griffith, featuring Arthur Johnson and cinematographer Billy Bitzer, stars of Silent Hall of Fame.

A greedy speculator decides to "corner" the wheat market, artificially raise the price on the market and profit from this. He is successful and makes a huge amount of money, but his action has disastrous consequences in real life, where the price of bread doubles, many people cannot afford it any more, wheat growers are ruined and the supply of charity bread is drastically reduced.

Arthur Johnson has a prominent role on the floor of the exchange. Robert Harron also gets credit for the film as a trader, but it is hard to spot him there.

"Corner in Wheat" was added to the National Film Registry in 1994 as being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Click to enlarge:
Corner in Wheat
Linda-Arvidson-and-James-Kirkwood-in-Corner-in-Wheat-1909-director-DW-Griffith-cinematographer-Billy-Bitzer-1.jpg
Wheat growers Linda Arvidson and James Kirkwood prepare to plant the seeds in "Corner in Wheat" (1909), directed by D. W. Griffith, cinematographer Billy Bitzer.
http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/FilmStills/Robert-Harron/Corner-in-Wheat/Linda-Arvidson-and-James-Kirkwood-in-Corner-in-Wheat-1909-director-DW-Griffith-cinematographer-Billy-Bitzer-1.jpg
Frank-Powell-and-Henry-Walthall-in-Corner-in-Wheat-1909-director-DW-Griffith-cinematographer-Billy-Bitzer-2.jpg
A speculator prepares the strategy as his team stands by in "Corner in Wheat" (1909), directed by D. W. Griffith, cinematographer Billy Bitzer.
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Arthur-V-Johnson-in-Corner-in-Wheat-1909-director-DW-Griffith-cinematographer-Billy-Bitzer-3.jpg
Arthur Johnson (in light suit) is a trader on the floor of the exchange in "Corner in Wheat" (1909), directed by D. W. Griffith, cinematographer Billy Bitzer.
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Arthur-V-Johnson-in-Corner-in-Wheat-1909-director-DW-Griffith-cinematographer-Billy-Bitzer-5.jpg
Arthur Johnson bids on the floor of the exchange in "Corner in Wheat" (1909), directed by D. W. Griffith, cinematographer Billy Bitzer.
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Arthur-V-Johnson-in-Corner-in-Wheat-1909-director-DW-Griffith-cinematographer-Billy-Bitzer-8.jpg
Arthur Johnson bids assertively on the floor of the exchange in "Corner in Wheat" (1909), directed by D. W. Griffith, cinematographer Billy Bitzer.
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Arthur-V-Johnson-in-Corner-in-Wheat-1909-director-DW-Griffith-cinematographer-Billy-Bitzer-11.jpg
Arthur Johnson helps another trader get medical aid in "Corner in Wheat" (1909), directed by D. W. Griffith, cinematographer Billy Bitzer.
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Frank-Powell-in-Corner-in-Wheat-1909-director-DW-Griffith-cinematographer-Billy-Bitzer-12.jpg
Frank Powell is congratulated for his success in "Corner in Wheat" (1909), directed by D. W. Griffith, cinematographer Billy Bitzer.
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Frank-Powell-in-Corner-in-Wheat-1909-director-DW-Griffith-cinematographer-Billy-Bitzer-13.jpg
Frank Powell is congratulated for his success by a rich crowd in "Corner in Wheat" (1909), directed by D. W. Griffith, cinematographer Billy Bitzer.
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Corner-in-Wheat-1909-director-DW-Griffith-cinematographer-Billy-Bitzer-14.jpg
The price of bread has doubled in "Corner in Wheat" (1909), directed by D. W. Griffith, cinematographer Billy Bitzer.
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A woman can't pay the double price and returns the bread to the baker in "Corner in Wheat" (1909), directed by D. W. Griffith, cinematographer Billy Bitzer.
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Linda-Arvidson-and-James-Kirkwood-in-Corner-in-Wheat-1909-director-DW-Griffith-cinematographer-Billy-Bitzer-16.jpg
Linda Arvidson and James Kirkwood are out of luck in "Corner in Wheat" (1909), directed by D. W. Griffith, cinematographer Billy Bitzer.
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Corner-in-Wheat-1909-director-DW-Griffith-cinematographer-Billy-Bitzer-17.jpg
Charity bread is gone for people on the poverty line in "Corner in Wheat" (1909), directed by D. W. Griffith, cinematographer Billy Bitzer.
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Frank-Powell-and-Henry-Walthall-in-Corner-in-Wheat-1909-director-DW-Griffith-cinematographer-Billy-Bitzer-18.jpg
Frank Powell is told by Henry Walthall that he made 4 million in "Corner in Wheat" (1909), directed by D. W. Griffith, cinematographer Billy Bitzer.
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Arthur Johnson helps another trader