The Love Flower

Love Flower, The (1920)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

D.W. Griffith film about a father (George MacQuarrie) who murders his wife's lover and then runs off to a South Sea island with their daughter (Carol Dempster). After a few years a detective shows up looking for him and the daughter decides it's her duty to keep her father with her. A fairly weak story and a stupid message really drags this film down but there are still quite a bit of good things working for the film. The cinematography by G.W. Bitzer is certainly the highlight, especially a couple scenes that take place under water. The three leads all do a decent job but poor Dempster is clearly playing a role meant for Lillian Gish. She can't pull off all the emotions but she does do a good job at playing a young girl.

While daddy's girl Carol Dempster (as Stella Bevan) frolics innocently in the woods, trouble is brewing - her loving father (George MacQuarrie as Bevan) and shrewish mother (Florence Short as Mrs. Bevan) are having marital problems. Informed by a faithful servant that his wife is entertaining a lover, Mr. MacQuarrie discovers the trysting twosome; then, during a struggle, he shoots the man dead. To escape from the police, MacQuarrie takes daughter Dempster, and flees to a South Sea island. There, they encounter handsome Richard Barthelmess (as Bruce Sanders), who makes Dempster's heart flutter. She doesn't know it, but Mr. Barthelmess is assisting police detective Anders Randolf (as Crane), who has arrived to arrest her father.

"The Love Flower" is a much better film, overall, than director D.W. Griffith's accompanying South Sea adventure "The Idol Dancer" (1920). G.W. Bitzer's photography is superb; he and Griffith paint some extraordinary, poetic images with the movie camera. The better production values are assisted by the absence of the ludicrous comic relief elements found in "The Idol Dancer". Unfortunately, "The Love Flower" fails to bloom; the melodramatic plot is interesting, but the love story between Dempster and Barthelmess does not work. Their pairing is more dull than passionate, although Barthelmess is a fine performer. Dempster is attractively athletic, and well-photographed; but, her emoting close-ups become sillier and sillier as the movie progresses. The older performers are much better, especially MacQuarrie.

***** The Love Flower (8/22/20) D.W. Griffith ~ Carol Dempster, Richard Barthelmess, George MacQuarrie

D.W. Griffith's two South Seas dramas made in Florida, which includes this film, "The Love Flower" and "The Idol Dancer", are two of his worst that I've seen. One can sense Griffith's lack of interest and inspiration. Probably the only thing worth noting about "The Love Flower" is that it features some underwater photography. Otherwise, the narrative--based on a magazine story and involving a relentless detective after our protagonist fugitives--is forgettable. Carol Dempster can't act. And, most of all, the care and energy behind Griffith's better work is missing here. It'd return in "Way Down East", as would Lillian Gish. "The Idol Dancer" and "The Love Flower" are merely slipshod productions Griffith rushed through to help relieve his increasing financial difficulties.

This film has such a bad reputation that I pleasantly surprised when I watched it. No, it is not one of Griffith's great films, but I was entertained by it.

The film was shot as one of three that Griffith had contracted to make for First National. He rushed through them so none of the three represent Griffith at his best. However, that doesn't mean that they do not have their rewards.

I am not a fan of Carol Dempster. In fact I think she is generally an awful actress (although she did get better). Griffith was in love with her (she did not reciprocate) and saw her as an ideal of old fashioned Southern beauty. When he cast her that way she was wooden, ugly and boring to distraction. She was completely lacking in screen presence.

I never thought I would be writing these words but in this film I actually enjoyed watching her. In this case Griffith, for once, cast Carol in a role she could play (at least most of the time). She plays the rather athletic role, of a girl raised by her father is fairly primitive circumstances in the tropics. She climbs cliffs, dives off them into the sea. Swims underwater, and generally romps around looking wonderfully disheveled and doing nearly everything except swinging from a vine. She obviously enjoys it and she actually looks (am I really saying this) beautiful when she does it. She even has a presence on the screen. However, when she has a dramatic scene, she loses all her charm and confidence. Her presence dwindles to nothing and she becomes an ugly and boring actress. Fortunatly there are only a few of these moments.

Richard Barthelmess does his usual excellent job of acting. He has great presence regardless of if he is being athletic, cheerful or dramatic. He is clearly Carol's superior in acting. He even manages to make her look good in a few dicey scenes.

So, no, this is not a great film or even a significant film, but it can be fun and enjoyable. If you like Griffith and you have nothing better to do I might even recommend it.

"The Love Flower" kept me on the edge of my seat with suspense. What a great film! Miss Dempster was very enigmatic and strangely intoxicating as the young daughter who is willing to kill the police detective who is after her father for murder. They hide out on a South Sea island for years, but the detective pursues them to the end.

Richard Barthelmess was a delight to watch as the young sailor who is tricked into bringing the detective to the island. Richard's face was literally gorgeous. No wonder Griffith preferred him over other male actors in his stock company. Griffith's personal attraction to Miss Dempster was also apparent, especially in the beach and water scenes with her scantily dressed outfits revealing ... well, I'll leave you guessing there.

If you are a fan of D.W. Griffith's work don't miss this film! It is his most contemporary and one of his most fascinating movie projects.