Silent film royalty to Lower East Side murder suspect in 17 minutes flat.
Nine-year-old Nedda is a direct descendant of the Trevors, a family that can trace its roots back to the reign of King Charles I. Alas, the Trevors suffer severe financial reverses, and Nedda is yanked from the luxury of her ancestral home in Britain to be raised on New York's Lower East Side. Ten years later, the grown-up Nedda stands accused of the murder of her mother.
Direction
Griffith crams an entire novel's worth of plot into 17 breathless minutes.
Acting
Madge Kirby's melting aristocratic dignity is pure silent-era catnip.
Director
D.W. Griffith
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was Griffith's 73rd one-reeler in three years — the man was essentially a factory.
Jack Pickford, playing the mixed-race son, was Mary Pickford's brother — nepotism started early in Hollywood.
US
