Blind Husbands

Blind Husbands
Film poster
Directed by	Erich von Stroheim
Produced by	Erich von Stroheim
Written by	Erich von Stroheim
Starring	Sam De Grasse Francelia Billington Erich von Stroheim Gibson Gowland
Cinematography	Ben F. Reynolds
Edited by	Eleanor Fried Frank Lawrence Viola Mallory Erich von Stroheim Grant Whytock
Distributed by	Universal Film Manufacturing Company
Release dates	January 1919
Running time	91 minutes
Country	United States
Language	Silent (English intertitles)
Budget	$42,000

Blind Husbands

Blind Husbands is a 1919 American drama film directed by Erich von Stroheim.^[1] The film is an adaptation of the story The Pinnacle by Stroheim.^[2]

Plot

A group of holiday-makers arrive at Cortina d'Ampezzo, an Alpine village in the Dolomites. Among them are an American Doctor who does not pay much attention to his wife and an Austrian Lieutenant, who decides to seduce her. He manages to befriend the couple so that, when the Doctor has to leave to help a local physician, he asks the Lieutenant to look after his wife. When the Lieutenant becomes too pressing, she promises to leave with him but asks him to give her more time. During the night, she puts a letter under the door of his bedroom.

The Doctor goes on a climbing expedition with the Lieutenant, who had been bragging about his exploits as a mountaineer. In fact, he is not in very good shape and the Doctor must help him to reach the summit. In the process, the Doctor finds his wife's letter in the pocket of the Lieutenant's jacket, but before he can read it, the Lieutenant throws it away. He asks the Lieutenant whether his wife had promised to leave with him and the Lieutenant gives a positive answer. The Doctor decides to leave him on the summit and starts his descent, despite the Lieutenant now saying that he has been lying because he thought the Doctor would not believe the truth. On his way back, the Doctor finds his wife's letter, in which she had written that she loved only her husband and asked the Lieutenant not to bother her any longer with his attentions. While pondering whether he should go back to get the Lieutenant, he loses his balance and falls down. When the Doctor is finally saved by soldiers, he asks them to go and help the Lieutenant. Before they can reach him, the Lieutenant, attacked by vultures, falls to his death from the precipice.^[3]

Cast

• Sam De Grasse as Doctor Robert Armstrong, the husband
• Francelia Billington as Margaret Armstrong, the wife
• Erich von Stroheim as Lieutenant Eric Von Steuben
• Gibson Gowland as Silent Sepp, the mountain guide
• Fay Holderness as The jealous waitress
• Ruby Kendrick as A village blossom
• Valerie Germonprez as The honeymooning bride
• Jack Perrin as The honeymooning groom
• Richard Cummings as Dr. Brunner, the village physician
• Louis Fitzroy as The village priest
• William De Vaull as A man from home
• Jack Mathes as A man from home
• Percy Challenger as A man from home

Survival status

A copy of Blind Husbands is in the Museum of Modern Art film archive and in several other collections.^[1] The film has been released on DVD.

References

1. "Progressive Silent Film List: Blind Husbands". Silent Era. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
2. The American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films: 1911-20 by The American Film Institute, c.1988
3. Review, synopsis and link to watch the film: "A Cinema History". Retrieved 17 February 2015.

External links

• Blind Husbands at the Internet Movie Database
• Blind Husbands at Rotten Tomatoes
• Blind Husbands at the TCM Movie Database
• Blind Husbands at AllMovie