The Burglar's Dilemma

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.

Entertaining early film, directed by D.W. Griffith; "Representing the manipulation of the third degree - the fallacy of circumstantial evidence"! Herein, the third degree is issued to young burglar Robert Harron, who protests so loudly "I didn't do it!" you can almost hear him shout.

The set-up is terrific: Weak brother Henry B. Walthall lives with older and stronger Lionel Barrymore. Meanwhile, burglar Harron is goaded by older crook Harry Carey to go out and rob somebody. He will go to rob Barrymore. BUT, before he gets there, a drunken Walthall has had enough of brother Barrymore, and pops him one. When Harron arrives to rob the place, Walthall decides to frame Harron for the murder of his brother. To wit, Walthall leaves Harron locked in the house, and runs for the police.

So, Griffith sets out to prove what he calls, "The fallacy of circumstantial evidence." The film is a lot of fun - especially in the performances of Harron, Walthall, and Barrymore. The Gish sisters have a cameo. Note how Griffith sets up a parallel between the two sets of men. "The Burglar's Dilemma" ends a little too quickly, and gives away too much, but it's still excellent.

******** The Burglar's Dilemma (12/16/12) D.W. Griffith ~ Robert Harron, Henry B. Walthall, Lionel Barrymore

"The Burglar's Dilemma" is more preachy and contrived than a lot of Griffith's shorts, but it still shows many of his careful touches that make an otherwise implausible story worth watching. There is a lot of action and suspense, and a very good cast.

Lionel Barrymore and Henry B. Walthall head up the cast, playing two brothers who have some tensions in their relationship. The story then sets up a very dramatic but equally improbable situation, in order to comment on their relationship and, by extension, to make some general points about the ways that human beings treat each other.

This is one of a fair number of Griffith features in which he uses some strange or unlikely developments to make points that are, in themselves, perfectly good. It always seems a little odd, when watching such features, that he could not have thought of a more plausible way of making the same points - but, some of his ideas do make for interesting viewing.

Overall, this film probably has just enough to be worth a look; it's just that it's a bit too heavy-handed to be considered as one of the era's or the director's better features.

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