Mary Pickford Season: FD Cinematheque

The Broken Locket (1909)

Director: D W Griffith

Cast: Mary Pickford, Frank Powell, Kate Bruce, Robert Harron, Dell Henderson, Arthur V Johnson, James Kirkwood, Marion Leonard, Owen Moore, Lottie Pickford, Mack Sennett

11 min

 D W Griffith

The Broken Locket is a short silent film written and directed by David W. Griffith in 1909. Produced and distributed by the Biograph Company , the film was released September 16, 1909.

Plot 

George Peabody has a drinking habit. Ruth, his friend from childhood loves him, brings him back to the right path and makes him abandon the bad companions who contributed to his downfall. George decides to mend the tatters of his life. Sets out for the West; and before leaving, greets his beloved Ruth, then realising that he truly loved her. She, then, as a token of love, gives him one half of her precious medallion. He will bring together the two pieces when he comes back to her.

In the West, George follows a new life, achieving success in his work. But, one day, ends up succumbing to the desire for a nightcap. This will be the beginning of his end. He falls into the arms of a Mexican girl who pretends to love him, and then his descent becomes unstoppable. His mistress, to completely remove the memory of Ruth, writes a letter in which she says that George is dead.

Without a penny, now reduced to a filthy, tattered exisitence, George returns. One day in front of the girl who still loves him and who is still waiting to reassemble their medallion.

She, who is now blind, cannot see it. George ashamed of everything he did, escapes from her. The medallion will remain broken forever.

Production 

The film was produced by the Biograph Company and was shot in Edgewater, New Jersey.

Distribution 

Distributed by the Biograph Company, the film  – was released in US cinemas on September 13, 1909. In the projections, was programmed with the split reel system, merged into a single coil with another short film produced by the Biograph and directed by Griffith,

It was screened with another short film produced by the Biograph and directed by Griffith, The Children’s Friend ^[1] .

In August 2006, the Grapevine has included this film in an anthology on DVD titled DW Griffith, Director, Volume 4 (1909) , containing eleven Griffith films  ^[2] .

Notes 

See also 

• David Wark Griffith Filmography
• George Nichols Filmography
• Mary Pickford filmography
• Biograph Company Filmography