Name: Jamestown
Director: Edwin L. Hollywood
Genre: Documentary
Released: 1923-11-04
Duration: 40 min
Rating: 10
Cast: Robert Gaillard, Dolores Cassinelli, Harry Kendall, Paul McAllister, Leslie Austin

101-year-old silent doc where Pocahontas is played by a white lady in a wig. Cinema!

100

101-year-old silent doc where Pocahontas is played by a white lady in a wig. Cinema!

100

Silent era chaosHistorical fever dreamEducational but unhinged

Overview

Documentary

The founding of the first English colony at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1612 and the many problems that confronted the struggling colonists are depicted.

Content warning

short film

Colonialism's sanitized mythSurvival vs civilizationCultural erasureManifest destiny propaganda

Standout Aspects

Production

Virginia locations shot in... probably New Jersey

Costume

Pocahontas's extremely questionable 1910s bob wig

Best for:Solo·Background

Heads up:Triggers

Director

Edwin L. Hollywood

ReleasedNov 4, 1923

Runtime40m

StatusReleased

Vibe

Paceslow

Intensitylow

Tonemixed

Feellight

Chronicles of America Pictures

Top Cast

Dolores Cassinelli

Pocahontas

Paul McAllister

Don Diego de Molina

Leslie Austin

John Rolfe

Brian Donlevy

Minor Role (Uncredited)

Ask about Jamestown

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Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Trivia

Brian Donlevy went from uncredited 'Minor Role' here to starring in Preston Sturges films—talk about range.

Cultural

This was produced during the 300th anniversary craze, when America was desperately mythologizing its origin story while ignoring genocide.

Jamestown (1923)