Over the Garden Wall (1919 film)

Over the Garden Wall is a lost[3] 1919 American silent romantic comedy[4][5] film produced and distributed by the Vitagraph Company of America. It was directed by David Smith, brother of one of the Vitagraph founders Albert E. Smith. The film stars Bessie Love.[6]

Over the Garden Wall
Newspaper advertisement
Directed by	David Smith
Produced by	Albert E. Smith
Written by	Sam Taylor
Based on	Over the Garden Wall (novel) by Millicent Evison
Starring	Bessie Love
Cinematography	Clyde De Vinna[1]
Production company	Vitagraph Company of America
Distributed by	Vitagraph Company of America
Release date	September 21, 1919 (U.S.)
Running time	5 reels[2]
Country	United States
Language	Silent (English intertitles)

At least five short films with this title were filmed before this production.[lower-alpha 1]

Plot

Love as Peggy Gordon

When the poor Gordon family must move out of its house and into a small cottage, young Peggy Gordon (Love) becomes a gardener to earn money. Her wealthy neighbor falls in love her, after seeing her "over the garden wall" and through a tennis racket; but she mistakenly believes that he is a chauffeur. When her younger sister attempts to elope with a bad man, Peggy and her new beau successfully prevent this from happening, and her beau's wealthy identity is revealed.[2][7]

Cast

• Bessie Love as Peggy Gordon
• Myrtle Reeves as Frances Gordon
• Willis Marks as Matthew Gordon
• James Blackwell as Julius Caesar Jackson
• Edward Hearn as Stanley Davis
• Truman Van Dyke as J. Hector Greshingham
• Allan Forrest as Peter Morton
• Anne Schaefer as Mrs. Clara Morton
• Jay Morley as Eric Fairchild
• Otto Lederer as James Barstow
• Ruth Fuller Golden (undetermined role)[2]

Reception

The film was generally well-received.[8]

References

Notes

1. The five shorts are:
   • Over the Garden Wall at IMDb (1901)
   • Over the Garden Wall at IMDb (1910)
   • Over the Garden Wall at IMDb (1911)
   • Over the Garden Wall at IMDb (1913)
   • Over the Garden Wall at IMDb (1917)

Citations

1. Love, Bessie (1977). From Hollywood with Love: An Autobiography of Bessie Love. London: Elm Tree Books. p. 150. OCLC 734075937.
2. Reid, Laurence (September 27, 1919). "Over the Garden Wall: Simple Story Exudes Charm and Sentiment". Motion Picture News. p. 2659.
3. "Over The Garden Wall / David Smith [motion picture]". Library of Congress.
4. "Grand Theatre". The Press. LVI (16812). Christchurch, New Zealand. April 19, 1920. p. 1.
5. "Lyric". Covington Republican. September 3, 1920. p. 5.
6. Hanson, Patricia King, ed. (1988). The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States: Feature Films 1911–1920. Berkeley, California: University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-06301-3.
7. "Strand Theatre". The Shelby Beacon. 6 (31). Ellwood City, Pennsylvania. November 14, 1919. p. 3.
8. Hartman, C.M. (December 13, 1919). "What the Picture Did for Me". Exhibitors Herald. Vol. 9 no. 25. p. 100. Good; many favorable comments

External links

• Over the Garden Wall at IMDb
• Over the Garden Wall at AllMovie
• Over the Garden Wall at the American Film Institute Catalog
• Lobby card featuring Bessie Love