Ben Blair

Dustin Farnum grew up orphaned out west, when bad man Fred Burns burned down the shack his mother's corpse was in. Fortunately, he was rescued by Frank Bonn. Was and is the foreman of Lamar Johnstone's ranch. Johnstone had to come out west for his health, which his wife, Virginia Foltz resented. She has raised their daughter, Winifred Kingston, with a yearning for civilization. When the family leaves because Johnstone's father has died, Farnum pursues them because he loves Miss Kingston.

The copy of this William Desmond Taylor movie has extensive damage in the second reel. However, by the third, it looks almost pristine, showing off Homer Scott's striking compositions. Alas, the same cannot be said for the story itself, which wanders back and forth over subplots that were, I imagine, better handled in the novel this was based on.

"Ben Blair" (1916) is definitely a film of its time. Included in the new Blu-Ray Kino Lorber release of "Pioneers: First Women Filmmakers, Intrigue, the Films of Julia Crawford Ivers", I was particularly drawn to this film because it stars Dustin Farnum, one of filmdom's earliest Western stars. This one was ostensibly directed by William Desmond Taylor, and was written for film (scenario) by Julia Crawford Ivers, based on the novel Ben Blair: The Story of a Plainsman by William Otis Lillibridge. Besides Farnum, this one stars Winifred Kingston (Farnum's team member on film a total of 19 times!, and eventually his 3rd wife), Herbert Standing, Lamar Johnstone, Fred Burns, Virginia Foltz, and others.

Beginning for a good fifteen minutes or more in the early youth of Ben Blair (played when young by Gordon Griffith, and played very well indeed), this one shows Blair's mother deserting her husband, going to live with Tom Blair (played by Fred Burns) in a hovel of a home. The mise-en-scene of the entire setting, especially the hovel of a home, is spectacular! There's a long tunnel dug into the earthen wall inside for the dog to live in, and for the boy to escape when he feels it's necessary. This has to be seen to be totally understood and believed! It saves the boy, however, when his father accidentally kills Ben's mother when he comes home very drunk, demands dinner, then pummels Ben's mother when she's deathly ill, which kills her. Tom Blair then sets up a pyre and burns the place to the ground, this while Ben is hiding in the hole. Ben lives, then becomes a ward of Lamar Johnstone, father of the girl who becomes later played by Winifred Kingston. She has a thing for young Ben Blair, but he's haunted presently by his past. Later, he has a thing for her. Eventually, Johnstone learns his father's died back East, and he and his wife (who never wanted to come West in the first place!!) and daughter Kingston go back East and settle for some time. Winifred Kingston is wooed by a wretch, though she doesn't realize what he really is. She even thinks she'll accept a wedding proposal and become engaged. When Ben Blair sees an announcement about the same - he goes East to see what's-a-happenin'. Things ramp up. He's meanwhile, before going East, taken care of a problem with his father who's turned up again as a cattle rustler and horse thief. Taken care of the problem rather permanently... A little revenge; a little sympathy; a little like son and father...

I'll leave the ending because it comes as quite a jolt for a modern audience. I think it must have come as a jolt for any audience in any age. It IS normal. It IS NOT normal. It's the wild West. It's any time, and it's love as only love is...

Fascinating film. Trying to ruminate the next morning as I am, I can't quite dismiss the ending as ridiculous at all. Still, this one is something else. I'll just leave it at that.

Nice print, though there are sections with severe nitrate deterioration. Too bad. Been restored with original tints where possible. Again, fascinating film.