Orphans of the Storm

Orphans of the Storm
Original theatrical poster
Directed byD. W. Griffith
Screenplay byD. W. Griffith
Based onLes Deux Orphelines (play)
by Adolphe d'Ennery and Eugène Cormon
Produced byD. W. Griffith
Starring
Cinematography
Edited by
Music by
Production
companies
D.W. Griffith, Inc.
Distributed byUnited Artists (US)
Release date
  • December 28, 1921 (1921-12-28) (US)
Running time
150 min.
CountryUnited States
Languages
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.

  1. ^ AFI Catalog of Feature Films: Orphans of the Storm Linked July 7, 2013
  2. ^ a b "Griffith's 20 Year Record". Variety. September 5, 1928. p. 12. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  3. ^ "Biggest Money Pictures". Variety. June 21, 1932. p. 1.
  4. ^ O’Dell, 1970 p. 136-137: “...the film was not the critical success for which Griffith had hoped…”
  5. ^ O’Dell, 1970 p. 132-135: Griffith: “...we must exercise care not to exchange our good government of Bolshevism and license.”