The Burglar's Dilemma

A strong cast enhances a decent - if drawn-out - drama about a coward who believes he has killed his brother, and is prepared to allow a luckless burglar to take the blame. A young Lionel Barrymore plays the assaulted brother, with the versatile Henry B. Walthall as his cowardly sibling. Other star names in smaller parts at the beginning of their careers which make this short worth watching include Harry Carey and the Gish sisters.

This was a pretty boring silent film short, one which the simple story moved slowly. It's hard to imagine a 15-18 minute movie dragging on, but that was the case here.

It's a story of a "weakling" brother, as described in the title cards, who thinks he killed his big brother. As he leaves the room in a mild panic state, a burglar comes into the house and the weakling hides. Soon, he locks the crook in the room and races to get the police, blaming the supposed death of his brother on him!

In the end, however, justice prevails and the sappy brothers is rehabilitated by his brother's forgiveness.

I appreciate the nice story of forgiveness, but the ridiculous part of the story is that the brother - along with four cops later on - doesn't know the man is alive? He takes his pulse and listens to his heart...and still thinks he's dead?? The cops, too?? Come on! Surely, one of the five could hear a heartbeat or hear the man breathing.

Lionel Barrymore plays the older brother (the forgiving one) and Henry B. Walthall is the "weakling." It's always kind of neat to see a younger Barrymore but overall, this D.W. Griffith picture was a bit of a disappointment.

It's always interesting once in a while to see an old short film, especially one from over a century ago when film was still in relative infancy. It's even more interesting when it has a young Lionel Barrymore in an early role far removed from his villain and cantankerous roles and direction by DW Griffith at a relatively early stage of his extensive career in quite a prolific year for him. Which is the case for 1912's 'The Burglar's Dilemma' (a very curious and not particularly appetising title).

While 'The Burglar's Dilemma' is not up to the same level of 'The Mothering Heart' and 'The Musketeers of Pig Alley' as far as Griffith's short films go, it is still worth watching. And for more than just Griffith or silent short film completest sake, as it is still entertaining, interesting and well directed and acted. Despite a wildly uneven story that stops 'The Burglar's Dilemma' from being better than it was, which is a shame especially when you see the greatness that Griffith was capable of (even that year).

'The Burglar's Dilemma' has a lot that is good. Barrymore has fun in his role and looks at ease with his material, without being theatrical. Henry B. Walthall, despite his character not being near as interesting, is a good contrast and isn't anaemic or annoying. Robert Harron shows from his exuberance here why it is sad that he didn't have a longer career or life. Dorothy and Lillian Gish play their roles typically beautifully and are expressive without being stagy.

Griffith directs adeptly and with great technical skill and the photography is nicely crafted and not primitive. 'The Burglar's Dilemma' never came over as dull and packs in a lot in merely under 20 minutes and not in a way that feels strained.

By all means, it is not perfect. The story can be silly and contrived, with too much over-reliance on the big coincidence that hangs it together. A coincidence that is not always easy to swallow and makes for some lapses in suspension of disbelief.

Do think that 'The Burglar's Dilemma' would have benefitted from being longer, it's never dull and it always engages but it did feel over-stuffed and hasty in the latter stages particularly.

Concluding, pretty good but not essential Griffith. 7/10.

If this picture is a story about a burglar, it isn't built in the best way; for it brings and keeps another character to the fore from the first. It labors under a poor title which is certainly a defect, for a name at the beginning of a picture directs the attention, it might almost be said, prepares the space in the mind which the picture is to fill. And if the offering fails to fill that space, there is almost sure to be a feeling of dissatisfaction. In this case, where the situation is neither very likely nor significant, the shortcoming is the more noticeable. It's a story of a man who was stunned and thought to be dead. His brother who had knocked him down, discovers a burglar in the house and contrives to have him caught and suspected of murder. This was the burglar's bad fix; it wasn't a true dilemma which is a choice between two bad fixes. The unconscious man comes to. It isn't up to the best Biograph pictures. - The Moving Picture World, December 28, 1912

Here is another short from Griffith dealing with crime and a perceived social problem. Like virtually all of Griffith's social protest films the story is a little strange, but by late 1912 the staging and acting is so good you'll barely notice.

Griffith opens economically with a single title card and a shot introducing the two brothers. Notice how he doesn't need to state which brother is the householder and which is the "weak". You get that from the way they act, and also with subtler clues. Lionel Barrymore lounges easily towards the centre of the screen, whereas Henry Walthall seems squashed up against the edge of the frame. Even their respective props are in tune with their characters – a broadsheet for Barrymore and a magazine for Walthall. The paper will reappear later on in a neat little touch where Walthall insists on personally placing it on his supposedly dead brother's face.

The acting throughout is of a high standard in this one – no hammy melodramatics whatsoever. Walthall is exceptional in the lead – particularly in how he conveys his character's guilt while the young burglar is being interrogated. Griffith here isolates him in his own frame in contrast to the busier shot we have just seen. Harry Carey gives fine support as the older crook, and there's also a brief appearance by the sisters Gish.

As with a many of these rather bizarrely plotted pieces lamenting social evils, The Burglar's Dilemma doesn't really work because the story hinges on a massive coincidence. It lacks the necessary "it-could-happen-to-anyone" factor. Still it is at least well made and mildly entertaining even if not absolutely engrossing.