The good things to recommend in D.W. Griffith's short film The Narrow Road are that 1) it's one of the early inspirations for the 'gangster' genre (it's featured as the opening short for another gangster silent film on 'the Origins of Gangster films' from the library of Congress); 2) it contains early signs of Griffith's revolutionary use of cross-narrative storytelling (one thing going on one place, cut to another, and then back again, taken for granted in modern cinema); and 3) how it deals with common people and how they deal with a crime. The story is simple, very simple (man just released from jail, his love, and a suitcase with trouble following it), and the title-cards are the most straightforward bits into one's psyche (i.e. the criminal at the bar, "The crook's inducements almost weaken him"). Aside from curiosity and Griffith aficionados, it's not something one would usually watch just for the hell of it. But for a seventeen minute short film, it could be a lot worse- in fact, it gets a little exciting for the climax, and has some sturdy cinematography for the times.
10 Reviews
The Narrow Road review
JoeytheBrit23 June 2020
A first starring role for the ill-fated Elmer Booth, who, just after being cast to play in Griffith's Intolerance in 1915, died in the same car crash that severely injured director Tod Browning. He plays an ex-convict whose determination to go straight is threatened by a fellow ex-con who is involved in a counterfeiting scam. Mary Pickford is given nothing to do but look worried as his faithful wife. A decent enough drama from Griffith with the usual 'crime doesn't pay' message.
has its moments
claudecat18 August 2003
This early Griffith short is available on a Library of Congress videotape called "Origins of the Gangster Film". It's not the most gripping tale ever filmed, but certainly has its good moments. Mary Pickford (looking much more womanly than she ever did in her later years) plays the wife of a petty crook who is trying to go straight. Both she and male lead Elmer Booth are very likeable, although their acting is not as clear and developed as you'll see in later silent films. Because of its early date, all the characters are shown from head to toe, theater style, and there may be moments when you'll wish Griffith would invent the closeup already. But the story has some fast-paced action and tension, and the realistic sets and costumes give the movie an authentic "working class" feel.
D.W. Griffith Makes Crime Pay
wes-connors5 November 2007
Mary Pickford (as Mrs. Holcomb) is a faithful wife; outside prison walls, she waits for husband Elmer Booth (as Jim Holcomb) to be released. The day arrives, and Mr. Booth decides it's "the straight road for me." But, his prison pal Charles Hill Mailes, released the same day, isn't so sure about the straight life. Mr. Mailes takes up counterfeiting. When Booth has difficulty making an honest buck, Mailes asks him to join the counterfeiting gang
Winning performances by Pickford and Booth help make crime pay for director D.W. Griffith. Booth will shortly return to gangster form in Griffith's better "The Musketeers of Pig Alley" (1912), for which "The Narrow Road" was a dry run.
**** The Narrow Road (8/1/12) D.W. Griffith ~ Mary Pickford, Elmer Booth, Charles Hill Mailes
**** The Narrow Road (8/1/12) D.W. Griffith ~ Mary Pickford, Elmer Booth, Charles Hill Mailes
Quite good for its day and it even holds up reasonably well today.
planktonrules15 August 2013
I was surprised by D.W. Griffith's "The Narrow Road". That's because I assumed it would be a heavy-handed morality tale--the sort that was VERY common in the day. However, despite it having a very obvious moral/civic lesson, it doesn't come across as overly preachy. Plus, the acting is quite naturalistic and understated.
Two men are released from prison. One is going home to his lovely wife (Mary Pickford) and the other right back to a life of crime. While living this straight and narrow sort of life is tough, the film illustrates the future the two men might expect--along with some help from a couple very handy hobos (one of which DOES look a lot like the comedian Max Davidson). Worth seeing and surprisingly good.
Two men are released from prison. One is going home to his lovely wife (Mary Pickford) and the other right back to a life of crime. While living this straight and narrow sort of life is tough, the film illustrates the future the two men might expect--along with some help from a couple very handy hobos (one of which DOES look a lot like the comedian Max Davidson). Worth seeing and surprisingly good.
entertaining early "gangster" film with a moral
FieCrier18 May 2005
Two men are released from prison. One has his wife waiting for him, and he promises to go straight, taking a job at a building site. The other almost immediately sets about starting up a counterfeiting operation. When the married man is treated to a beer by his friend, and the friend pays with a bad coin, it could mean trouble for him.
Detectives enter the two men's apartments and search them without warrants. They did have warrants back in 1912, didn't they?
A little morality play that sends the message that crime never pays, and that prison can be a reformatory experience for some. Mary Pickford plays the wife, and Christy Cabanne, more known as a director, plays one of two tramps.
Detectives enter the two men's apartments and search them without warrants. They did have warrants back in 1912, didn't they?
A little morality play that sends the message that crime never pays, and that prison can be a reformatory experience for some. Mary Pickford plays the wife, and Christy Cabanne, more known as a director, plays one of two tramps.
Elmer Booth Could Have Been a Major Talent!!
kidboots4 December 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Big things were predicted for Elmer Booth who created a new type of swaggering gangster in "Musketeers of Pig Alley" - unfortunately he was killed in an automobile accident in 1915. And also unfortunate, because actors were not really established as popular stars back in those early times, he would have to take whatever he was given - a background walk on one day, a more rounded characterization the next.
Fortunately he could do something with his role here as Jim, a prisoner whose cheering letters from his wife (Mary Pickford not really displaying much of the personality that made her so popular later on) puts him on the road to making good. He and fellow prisoner (Charles Hill Mailes) are released but Mailes finds it easier to "make" money than to earn it. Their paths cross and even though Jim has found work he is not used to such physicality and is almost tempted to fall in with his crooked buddy again. He does agree to hide the counterfeiting equipment and there are some tense moments when the police ransack the couple's flat - only to find nothing!! The suitcase has mysteriously disappeared -it was taken by two tramps and because of that the police are able to make an arrest and leave Jim to realise how lucky he is to have Mary and to keep on the straight and narrow.
Fortunately he could do something with his role here as Jim, a prisoner whose cheering letters from his wife (Mary Pickford not really displaying much of the personality that made her so popular later on) puts him on the road to making good. He and fellow prisoner (Charles Hill Mailes) are released but Mailes finds it easier to "make" money than to earn it. Their paths cross and even though Jim has found work he is not used to such physicality and is almost tempted to fall in with his crooked buddy again. He does agree to hide the counterfeiting equipment and there are some tense moments when the police ransack the couple's flat - only to find nothing!! The suitcase has mysteriously disappeared -it was taken by two tramps and because of that the police are able to make an arrest and leave Jim to realise how lucky he is to have Mary and to keep on the straight and narrow.
Film actually shot in Fort Lee, New Jersey
tmeyers14 February 2006
Though Griffith shot films in California during his "Fort Lee" period with Biograph - this film is one shot in Fort Lee, New Jersey. We are in the process of doing a frame by frame analysis of many of these Biograph films and we will match them to the locations as they exist today in Fort Lee.
Griffith used some of the same exteriors in Fort Lee from film to film - perhaps an alteration of the storefront here or there but essentially the same locations. One of the famous exterior shots from this period is the storefront in "The Musketerrs of Pig Alley" that was dressed to resemble the Lower Eastside of Manhattan but in fact was Main Street in Fort Lee.
The Fort Lee Film Commission is very much involved in the research of locations from this period. Also, nice to see Max Davidson in this film - Max would go on to play a character in one of the "Our Gang" shorts - the classic "Moan & Groan."
Griffith used some of the same exteriors in Fort Lee from film to film - perhaps an alteration of the storefront here or there but essentially the same locations. One of the famous exterior shots from this period is the storefront in "The Musketerrs of Pig Alley" that was dressed to resemble the Lower Eastside of Manhattan but in fact was Main Street in Fort Lee.
The Fort Lee Film Commission is very much involved in the research of locations from this period. Also, nice to see Max Davidson in this film - Max would go on to play a character in one of the "Our Gang" shorts - the classic "Moan & Groan."
An excellent film for 1912
adt12521 August 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This film has a great many things that commend it and the audience of 1912 would have understood it much better.
In prison you see 'Jim' taking a quick little glances at a letter from the wife whenever the prison guards turn their back (prison was a harsh place back then), Mrs Jim comes to the prison walls every day. You see the feeling of longing between the two. Mary diligently maintains house and home even without the husband present.
The two men come out of prison - one immediately resumes his criminal intentions (counterfeiting coin), the other Jim has decided to try and go straight.
The police work out the counterfeiter and thus probably his prison mate are up to no good and go looking for them both. The counterfeiter realizing he is about to be checked out drops his counterfeiting kit (a suitcase)with Jim for monetary safe-keeping. Against his better judgment Jim agrees to look after the incriminating suitcase.
Almost immediately the police come in for a raid and knock on the door! Shock and fear and tension - the innocent Jim could be accidentally framed because of having the suitcase and thus off to jail for a long time. The police go into the bedroom to search (and it was where we saw the suitcase put, on the bed near a window).
Dramatic tension ensues. Jim and his wife wait, still, for the inevitable. They know they are done for and are just waiting, waiting for the police to come out with the suitcase and arrest Jim. You can sense their tension and it is built up by shots between the room where they wait and the bedroom where the police search.
But we are let in on a secret - moments before the police enter the bedroom room a couple of opportunist tramps look in the window, see a suitcase and steal it. So we are aware that Jim is going to be OK but also know he and his wife don't know that. We can observe their tension.
We are given a couple of long quiet shots of Jim and his wife almost motionless, distraught waiting for the bad ending. Almost too long if it wasn't for Mary Pickford adding a touch of humanity to the scene by ever so gently and quietly letting her hand slide down her husbands arm - like a real wife in reality - a very natural movement.
The police find nothing, they are all relieved and we go onto a lovely piece of irony and justice served to the counterfeiter. He sees the tramps with the suitcase had just given to Jim for safekeeping - he wrestles it from them just as the police come along - and grab them all, thus he gets his punishment.
Later just to demonstrate Jim has gone on the straight and narrow he picks up a dropped wallet and returns it to the owner - who also tells the police this when they come sniffing around for Jim.
Domestic bliss is returned and all feels well.
This was a very well put together film with a strong performance from Elmer Booth and nice work from Mary Pickford in the supporting role. Charles Mailes also looked very much the part of a counterfeiter.
In prison you see 'Jim' taking a quick little glances at a letter from the wife whenever the prison guards turn their back (prison was a harsh place back then), Mrs Jim comes to the prison walls every day. You see the feeling of longing between the two. Mary diligently maintains house and home even without the husband present.
The two men come out of prison - one immediately resumes his criminal intentions (counterfeiting coin), the other Jim has decided to try and go straight.
The police work out the counterfeiter and thus probably his prison mate are up to no good and go looking for them both. The counterfeiter realizing he is about to be checked out drops his counterfeiting kit (a suitcase)with Jim for monetary safe-keeping. Against his better judgment Jim agrees to look after the incriminating suitcase.
Almost immediately the police come in for a raid and knock on the door! Shock and fear and tension - the innocent Jim could be accidentally framed because of having the suitcase and thus off to jail for a long time. The police go into the bedroom to search (and it was where we saw the suitcase put, on the bed near a window).
Dramatic tension ensues. Jim and his wife wait, still, for the inevitable. They know they are done for and are just waiting, waiting for the police to come out with the suitcase and arrest Jim. You can sense their tension and it is built up by shots between the room where they wait and the bedroom where the police search.
But we are let in on a secret - moments before the police enter the bedroom room a couple of opportunist tramps look in the window, see a suitcase and steal it. So we are aware that Jim is going to be OK but also know he and his wife don't know that. We can observe their tension.
We are given a couple of long quiet shots of Jim and his wife almost motionless, distraught waiting for the bad ending. Almost too long if it wasn't for Mary Pickford adding a touch of humanity to the scene by ever so gently and quietly letting her hand slide down her husbands arm - like a real wife in reality - a very natural movement.
The police find nothing, they are all relieved and we go onto a lovely piece of irony and justice served to the counterfeiter. He sees the tramps with the suitcase had just given to Jim for safekeeping - he wrestles it from them just as the police come along - and grab them all, thus he gets his punishment.
Later just to demonstrate Jim has gone on the straight and narrow he picks up a dropped wallet and returns it to the owner - who also tells the police this when they come sniffing around for Jim.
Domestic bliss is returned and all feels well.
This was a very well put together film with a strong performance from Elmer Booth and nice work from Mary Pickford in the supporting role. Charles Mailes also looked very much the part of a counterfeiter.
Griffith and Gangsters
Michael_Elliott25 January 2009
Narrow Road, The (1912)
*** (out of 4)
Jim Holcomb (Elmer Booth) and a friend (Charles Hill Mailes) are released from prison. Jim has his loving wife (Mary Pickford) there to help him go straight but the friend decides to go down the wrong path and this here might fall back on Jim. This is a pretty good morality tale from Griffith who once again tries to push his message of hard work and redemption over on the viewer. Considering some of the person issues in Griffith's own life I always found it rather interesting that he was so up beat in his films. This movie really benefits from the strong performances by Booth and Pickford. The two do very good work together and really comes across nicely. Pickford basically has the role of standing around preaching but she does well with it. The most notable thing is that Griffith was experimenting with his cross cutting of two stories. He does this extremely well to the point that the story never becomes confusing.
*** (out of 4)
Jim Holcomb (Elmer Booth) and a friend (Charles Hill Mailes) are released from prison. Jim has his loving wife (Mary Pickford) there to help him go straight but the friend decides to go down the wrong path and this here might fall back on Jim. This is a pretty good morality tale from Griffith who once again tries to push his message of hard work and redemption over on the viewer. Considering some of the person issues in Griffith's own life I always found it rather interesting that he was so up beat in his films. This movie really benefits from the strong performances by Booth and Pickford. The two do very good work together and really comes across nicely. Pickford basically has the role of standing around preaching but she does well with it. The most notable thing is that Griffith was experimenting with his cross cutting of two stories. He does this extremely well to the point that the story never becomes confusing.
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