Public Domain Movies

"Way Down East" is a poignant drama directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish. This film illustrates the work of cinematographer Billy Bitzer, a star of Silent Hall of Fame.

The film tells the story about a society that ostracizes women for having a child out of wedlock.  Anna meets a man, who, in order to get her affections, sets up a fake marriage with her.  Then after she becomes pregnant he betrays her.  Anna's baby dies and she is banned from the boarding house. 

Anna finds work in the house of a certain squire, the richest farmer in the neighborhood.  The son of the family falls in love with her, but she rejects his advances knowing that her past will catch up with her sooner or later.

Then one day the squire finds out that Anna had a baby out of wedlock.  His prejudice is so strong that he drives her out of the house at night into the blizzard. 

Out in the open fields with freezing winds blowing Anna quickly becomes disoriented and exhausted.  She loses her coat and falls down on the frozen river bank.  Then the ice breaks and she is carried away downstream. 

The young man desperately looks for her in the dark.  When he reaches the river he sees her in the distance lying on a piece of ice that is carrying her downstream towards the waterfall and a certain death.

The film has an outstanding 8.1 rating in IMDB.

Directed by               D. W. Griffith
Produced by             D. W. Griffith
Scenario by               Anthony Paul Kelly         
Based on                   Way Down East by Lottie Blair Parker
Starring                     Lillian Gish, Richard Barthelmess
Cinematography       Billy Bitzer
Editing by                  James Smith and Rose Smith
Distributed by           United Artists
Release date               September 3, 1920
Running time             123 min
Country                      United States
Language                    Silent film, English intertitles

You can see a slideshow of stills from this film and other interesting stuff on our website silent-hall-of-fame.org.

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