The Village Blacksmith
(survived only 10 minutes) As young men, the squire (Marshall) and the village blacksmith (Walling) are in love with the same woman (Boardman), whom the blacksmith marries. This angers the squire. Years later, the squire's son Anson (Yearsley) dares the blacksmith's son Johnnie (Hackathorne) to climb a tree, from which he falls and is crippled. As adults, Anson and the blacksmith's daughter Alice (Valli) fall in love, which angers the blacksmith, who chastises his daughter. The blacksmith's other son Bill (Butler) returns from college and is injured in a train accident. Anson steals $480 from a church fund which is currently in Alice's possession. Alice is struck by lightning. The blacksmith take Anson and the squire to church where they both repent.
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📋 Film Details
| Year | 1922 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Genre | Drama, Romance |
| Director | John Ford |
| Runtime | 80 min. |
| Rating | TMDB: 5.3/10 (3 votes) |
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🎬 MovieFinder's Take
The film constructs its drama on the contrast of social stations and the weight of generational sin, where the fathers' rivalry dictates the children's fate. It explores redemption through biblical overtones and elemental forces, transforming personal vengeance into a communal catharsis.
What lingers after the final hymn is a stark, moralistic fable where lightning serves as divine judgment and forgiveness is hard-won. — MovieFinder Editorial
Director: John Ford
Best Watched
By dim lamplight, with a mood for a silent-era family saga about fate and forgiveness.
🎭 Cast
Will Walling
John Hammond
Virginia True Boardman
Mrs. John Hammond
Virginia Valli
Alice Hammond
Ida Mae McKenzie
Alice as a Child
David Butler
Bill Hammond
Gordon Griffith
Bill as a Child
George Hackathorne
Johnnie Hammond
Pat Moore
Johnnie as a Child
Tully Marshall
Squire Ezra Brigham
Ralph Yearsley
Anson Brigham
💬 Audience Reviews
Audience Score
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