John S. Robertson, Mary Pickford, silent film, silent movie stars, free classic film, old movies, silent film streaming, silent era, archive films, rare films, silent drama, silent classics

   Mary Pickford

Directed by                     John S. Robertson
Produced by                   Mary Pickford
Written by                      E. Lloyd Sheldon and Josephine Lovett
Based on                        Tess of the Storm Country by Grace Miller White
Starring                          Mary Pickford, Lloyd Hughes, David Torrence, Forrest Robinson, Jean Hersholt
Cinematography            Charles Rosher
Distributed by                United Artists Corporation
Release date                    November 22, 1922
Running time                  118 minutes
Country                           United States
Language                         Silent film, English intertitles

We have included this film in our program to illustrate the work and contributions of our star director John S. Robertson.

"Tess of the Storm Country" (1922) is a moving drama that grasps the viewer's attention from beginning until end.  A rich man has built a house on top of a hill and is going out of his way to get rid of his poor squatter neighbors living at the bottom. The rich man's son, however, is not only sympathetic to the plight of the poor, but also is attracted to a squatter girl by the name of Tess (Mary Pickford).

The rich man gets help from an aspiring lawyer, and his son-in-law to be, who decides that taking the fishermen's nets away from them will starve them and make them leave.  The plan backfires and the aspiring lawyer is killed.  The murderer escapes and circumstantial evidence puts the blame on Tess's father, who is jailed and later found guilty in court. 

In the meantime the rich man's daughter is saved by Tess when she tries to commit suicide.  The woman gives birth and leaves the baby to the gullible and kind-hearted Tess, telling her that her father would kill her because of the baby.  The rich man's son, who earlier declared his love to Tess, finds the baby in her home and decides that he cannot trust her any more.    

The murderer tries to get rid of the only witness linking him to the crime and attempts to force Tess to leave with him.  In a dramatic climax the rich man realizes that the squatters have given him a lesson and becomes a good neighbor with them.

The film is ranked number 85 in the list of The Top 100 Silent Era Films of the influential website Silent Era.

It enjoys a strong rating in IMDB.

 Click to enlarge: {imageshow sl=59 sc=3 /}

   Mary Pickford and Lloyd Hughes