DeMille Does His First

The Squaw Man (1914) Makes Century-Ago History

This was more a duty watch than a pleasure, as is case with many a slice of history we read about for years, but are otherwise reluctant  submitting to. Its litany of firsts: DeMille's as director,  if in co-helm capacity (with Oscar Apfel),  the inaugural feature based in Hollywood, along with locations nearby, and an all-or-nothing gamble by the Jesse L. Lasky Co. to establish itself in long-form filmmaking. My curiosity was satisfied early on, leaving forty or so minutes to doze through, fast-forward, or think on other topics as Dustin Farnum and assorted ghosts played their drama out. To latter and its awkward progress, Farnum has disgrace hung on him by a rotter among English aristocracy, and so forfeits home and title to head U.S. west where life proceeds in the raw. There he meets bad hombres and an Indian princess who bears his papoose and makes the expected sacrifice so Dustin can reclaim back-home birthright and fiancé. DeMille thought enough of the property to remake it several times, The Squaw Man frontier-set equivalent of Uncle Tom's Cabin for 19th Century road-touring. Aspects of the yarn do compel; you'd not be remiss adapting it today, though obviously with changes. We can thank a miracle that The Squaw Man survives, as how many other features from that relic period remain? (certainly there are few others extant that Lasky produced) If nothing else, The Squaw Man left us the barn-site of filming, where silent clubs gather and old movies frequently unspool. The Squaw Man is one of those that's been famous a hundred years for being famous, even if not necessarily good, and deserves anyone's hour and fifteen minutes in respectful observance.

Illustrations courtesy the great LANTERN site.