A 1919 silent film where a lighthouse hides a murderer and his daughter keeps the light burning.
Flotsam (Thomas) is the daughter and helper of crusty old lighthouse keeper Joe Clark (Edward Ellis, in fine form). The reason why Clark lives 'out yonder' is because he's a fugitive from justice: years ago, he killed a man under complicated circumstances. Clark's official assistant is Amos Bart, but Flotsam does much of the work of maintaining the lighthouse.
Acting
Olive Thomas's expressive face does the heavy lifting, no dialogue needed.
Cinematography
Ralph Ince captures genuine coastal atmosphere — you feel the salt.
Director
Ralph Ince
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Olive Thomas died tragically just one year after this film, making her brief screen career — including this rare surviving role — all the more precious to silent film historians.
Director Ralph Ince was Thomas Ince's brother; the Ince family dominated early Hollywood, and this coastal production shows their knack for location shooting that bigger studios often skipped.
US
