Expert: DM - 5/24/2009

Question
QUESTION: I am trying to identify the name of a silent movie star.  She had the nickname "Brown Eyes".  I don't know much else about her (no movie titles sorry_ but I tink she would have filmed in the 20 & 30s.  Do you know of any female silent movie stars known as "Brown Eyes" ? THanks

ANSWER: Thank you for your very interesting question.

After researching your subject, I have come to the conclusion that there was probably not an actress known as "Brown Eyes."

That said, there is a well-known character known as "Brown Eyes" in Director D.W. Griffith's expensive, most ambitious silent film masterpiece, Intolerance (1916). It is one of the milestones and landmarks in cinematic history. Many reviewers and film historians consider it the greatest film of the silent era.

In Intolerance, there is a French story (one of our) that takes place in the Renaissance in 16th century medieval France at the time of the persecution and slaughter of the Huguenots during the regime of Catholic Catherine de Medici and her son, King Charles IX of France. The notorious atrocities of St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre are graphically shown along with its effects upon the planned wedding of a young innocent Huguenot couple - Brown Eyes and Prosper Latour.

"Brown Eyes, her family of the Huguenot Party, and her sweetheart, Prosper Latour." Other Huguenot lovers, Brown Eyes (played by Margery Wilson) and Prosper Latour (Eugene Pallette) are introduced as the main protagonists - in an extreme closeup, the brown-eyed young woman gazes wistfully at Prosper outside her home. A foreign Mercenary focuses on their goodbye and is immediately attracted to her beauty.

If you have never seen Intolerance, I highly recommend it. The film is one of the most memorable motion pictures ever produced.

Sincerely,
David W. Menefee
Author:
Sarah Bernhardt in the Theater of Films and Sound Recordings
The First Female Stars: Women of the Silent Era
The First Male Stars: Men of the Silent Era
Richard Barthelmess: A Life in Pictures

Please visit my web site at www.thegreatstars.com

Coming soon: George O'Brien, a Man's Man in Hollywood,
Publishing by Christmas 2009
Visit www.bearmanormedia.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for your invaluable help.  Margery Wilson was the actress I am interested in.  I am especially want to learn more of her 1921 production of The Offenders, filmed on location in Vermont. Wikipedia lists this film as "lost" but others refer to it in detail. Do you know if this film is still in circulation and how I would go about learning more about it or viewing it? Thank you for your help!

Answer
I am glad I could help with your question about Margery Wilson. As for her appearance in The Offenders (1921), which you say was filmed on location in Vermont, there are ways to determine if the film still exists and is in circulation.

I would suggest you visit the following two web sites that offer rare silent films, and ask their operators if they know of the whereabouts of The Offenders:

MOVIES UNLIMITED
http://www.moviesunlimited.com

GRAPEVINE VIDEO
http://www.grapevinevideo.com/

For more information, you might do a search on this web site and see what articles or information comes up, if any:  

OLD MAGAZINES.COM SITE
http://www.oldmagazinearticles.com

You might also go to this google groups site and post a question to silent movie fans and see if they know more about the film:

SILENT GOOGLE GROUP SITE
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.movies.silent/topics?hl=en

The following web site is a wonderful research tool. For a small fee, you can subscribe for one (or more) months and literally search thousands of newspapers on your computer. You never know what may turn up about the film or the actress:

NEWSPAPERARCHIVE
http://www.newspaperarchive.com

This web site also contains some detailed information about the actress, and there are also chat rooms where you can communicate with silent movie fans about your search:

INTERNET MOVIE DATA BASE
http://www.imdb.com

For more detailed information, reseachers do well to visit or communicate with:

The Margaret Herrick Library at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
333. S. La Cienega Blvd.
Beverly Hills, Ca. 90210
Telephone: 310.657.3020

American Film Institute
Telephone: 213.856.7660

Best of luck to you with your research project!

Sincerely,
David Menefee


David W. Menefee is the author of:

Sarah Bernhardt in the Theater of Films and Sound Recordings (Foreword by Kevin Brownlow)
www.mcfarlandpub.com
Telephone (336) 246-4460

The First Female Stars: Women of the Silent Era
www.greenwood.com
US telephone 1-800-225-5800
Order by e-mail: orders@greenwood.com

The First Male Stars: Men of the Silent Era
www.bearmanormedia.bizland.com
Bear Manor Media
PO BOX 71426
Albany, GA 31708
Telephone: (229) 436-4265      

Richard Barthelmess: A Life in Pictures
www.bearmanormedia.com
Bear Manor Media
PO BOX 71426
Albany, GA 31708
Telephone: (229) 436-4265     

Please visit my web site:
www.thegreatstars.com
for many other exciting films and recordings of great stars in great plays that I have located around the world. You're certain to find several you will want for your own library, or to give as a gift, including:

Mothers of France starring Sarah Bernhardt.
Restored film with orchestra score on new DVD

Camille starring Sarah Bernhardt.
Restored film with orchestra score on new DVD.

Queen Elizabeth starring Sarah Bernhardt
Restored film with orchestra score on new DVD.

Sarah Bernhardt in Performance
18 restored recordings on one CD,
plus the Sarah Bernhardt 101 Photo CD Album

Cenere, the only motion picture ever made
starring theater legend Eleonora Duse.
Restored film with orchestra score on new DVD.

Madame X with Broadway legend Jane Cowl
Restored radio dramatization on new CD.
Full cast, music, and sound effects.

Pygmalion with Broadway legends Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne.
Restored radio dramatization on new CD.
Full cast, music, and sound effects.

Peg O' My Heart with Broadway legend Laurette Taylor.
Restored radio dramatization on new CD.
Full cast, music, and sound effects.

John Barrymore performing excerpts from Hamlet and Twelfth Night.
Restored audio recordings of America's greatest actor on new CD.
Full cast, music, and sound effects.