| Orphans of the Storm | |
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 Original theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | D. W. Griffith |
| Screenplay by | D. W. Griffith |
| Based on | Les Deux Orphelines (play) by Adolphe d'Ennery and Eugène Cormon |
| Produced by | D. W. Griffith |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography |
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| Edited by |
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| Music by |
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Production companies | D.W. Griffith, Inc. |
| Distributed by | United Artists (US) |
Release date |
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Running time | 150 min. |
| Country | United States |
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| Budget | $760,000[2] |
| Box office | $3 million (worldwide rental)[3] or $2 million[2] |
Orphans of the Storm is a 1921 American silent drama film by D. W. Griffith set in late-18th-century France, before and during the French Revolution.
The last Griffith film to feature both Lillian and Dorothy Gish, it was a commercial failure compared to his earlier works, such as The Birth of a Nation (1915), Broken Blossoms (1919) and Way Down East (1920).[4]
Griffith used historical events to comment on contemporary events, in this case the French Revolution to warn about the rise of Bolshevism.[5] The film is about class conflict and a plea for inter-class understanding and against destructive hatred. At one point, in front of the Committee of Public Safety, a main character pleads, "Yes I am an aristocrat, but a friend of the people."
The film is based on the 1874 French play Les Deux Orphelines by Adolphe d'Ennery and Eugène Cormon.
- ^ AFI Catalog of Feature Films: Orphans of the Storm Linked July 7, 2013
- ^ a b "Griffith's 20 Year Record". Variety. September 5, 1928. p. 12. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
- ^ "Biggest Money Pictures". Variety. June 21, 1932. p. 1.
- ^ O’Dell, 1970 p. 136-137: “...the film was not the critical success for which Griffith had hoped…”
- ^ O’Dell, 1970 p. 132-135: Griffith: “...we must exercise care not to exchange our good government of Bolshevism and license.”