Heart o' the Hills
Encyclopedia
Heart o' the Hills is a 1919
silent film
directed by Joseph De Grasse and Sidney Franklin
, written by Bernard McConville
and based on a John Fox Jr.'s novel.
) is a young boy who lives with his stepfather chief Steve Honeycutt (Sam De Grasse
) at the ancestral Honeycutt's home. One day the chief is looking for the 13-year-old mountain girl Mavis Hawn (Mary Pickford
), who is shooting bullets in the woods. Mavis desires for revenge after a few gang members tornished her home and shot and killed her father. One of her only friends is geologist and school teacher John Burnham (Fred Warren
). He suggests her to get an education instead of teaching herself to use a gun.
Chief Honeycutt visits Mavis' widowed mother Martha Hawn (Claire McDowell
) and flirts with her. Meanwhile, Mavis is fishing at a pond near her home with Jason. He reveals his stepfather is manipulating Martha into granting him her land. When a group of planters and capitalisters come to the town with the intention to exploit mountain coal lands, Mavis scares them away with her gun. She and Jason later run into the rich aristocrat Gray Pendleton (John Gilbert
) and his sweetheart Marjorie Lee (Betty Bouton
), who are looking for the town.
Back at home, Mavis is disappointed Steve is still there. Later that night, Mavis visits a party and meets Gray for the second time. He flirts with her, which makes Jason jealous. Gray forces himself up to Mavis, which makes her upset and angry. She leaves the party and finds out her mother has left her to marry Steve. She decides to marry as well and proposes to Jason. However, they soon find out they are too young.
When word hits town a guy named Morton Sanders (Henry Hebert) is planning to take over the city, some of the inhabitants, including Mavis, threaten him to go away. Later that night, Morton is found dead and the police are looking after everyone who was involved. The police visits the Hawn house, but Mavis' grandfather (Fred Huntley
) forces them to go away. While holding them under his gunshot, Mavis packs her stuff and goes hiding in the forest. The next day, John Burnham visits her and convinces her to go to trial to proof her innocence.
In court, the lawyer of the other party demands for her to be hanged. The town folks try to defend her by all admitting they have shot Morton. Mavis is discharged and finally decides to go to school. Mr. Burnham, Gray and Marjorie are all pleased with Mavis' decision. Jason however, becomes jealous again when she starts hanging out with Gray at school and leaves her.
Six years pass. Mavis has been adopted by the rich Colonel Pendleton (W.H. Bainbridge). One day she receives a letter from her mother, announcing she is getting old and will most-likely die soon. She decides to visit her mom and finds out Steve killed her father. He has become violent and takes it out on Martha. Mavis tries to help her and shoots Steve. Martha survives the incident and takes Mavis in to live with her. Mavis is reunited with a grown-up Jason and they marry.
1919 in film
The year 1919 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 5 - Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith launch United Artists...
silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
directed by Joseph De Grasse and Sidney Franklin
Sidney Franklin (director)
Sidney Franklin was an American film director and producer. His brother Chester Franklin also became a director during the silent film era best known for helming the early Technicolor film Toll of the Sea....
, written by Bernard McConville
Bernard McConville
Bernard McConville was an American screenwriter. He wrote for 92 films between 1915 and 1946.He was born in Denver, Colorado and died in Los Angeles County, California.-Selected filmography:...
and based on a John Fox Jr.'s novel.
Plot
Jason Honeycutt (Harold GoodwinHarold Goodwin
Harold Goodwin was an American film actor who performed in over 225 films.Born in Peoria, Illinois, Goodwin began his film career while still in his teens in the 1915 film short Mike's Elopement. One of his most popular roles of the silent era was that of Jeff Brown in the 1927 Buster Keaton...
) is a young boy who lives with his stepfather chief Steve Honeycutt (Sam De Grasse
Sam De Grasse
Samuel Alfred De Grasse was a Canadian actor. Born in Bathurst, New Brunswick, he trained to be a dentist....
) at the ancestral Honeycutt's home. One day the chief is looking for the 13-year-old mountain girl Mavis Hawn (Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford was a Canadian-born motion picture actress, co-founder of the film studio United Artists and one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
), who is shooting bullets in the woods. Mavis desires for revenge after a few gang members tornished her home and shot and killed her father. One of her only friends is geologist and school teacher John Burnham (Fred Warren
Fred Warren
Frederick Windsor 'Freddie' Warren was a Welsh professional footballer and Wales international.-Club career:...
). He suggests her to get an education instead of teaching herself to use a gun.
Chief Honeycutt visits Mavis' widowed mother Martha Hawn (Claire McDowell
Claire McDowell
Claire McDowell was an American actress of the silent era. She appeared in 360 films between 1908 and 1945. Still somewhat of a youthful beauty when she started in early silent films she appeared in numerous short & early feature films. She graduated to playing character and mother types...
) and flirts with her. Meanwhile, Mavis is fishing at a pond near her home with Jason. He reveals his stepfather is manipulating Martha into granting him her land. When a group of planters and capitalisters come to the town with the intention to exploit mountain coal lands, Mavis scares them away with her gun. She and Jason later run into the rich aristocrat Gray Pendleton (John Gilbert
John Gilbert (actor)
John Gilbert was an American actor and a major star of the silent film era.Known as "the great lover," he rivaled even Rudolph Valentino as a box office draw...
) and his sweetheart Marjorie Lee (Betty Bouton
Betty Bouton
Betty Bouton was an American actress. She appeared in 16 films between 1919 and 1924, with her last film being the Samuel Goldwyn part-Technicolor production Cytherea .-External links:...
), who are looking for the town.
Back at home, Mavis is disappointed Steve is still there. Later that night, Mavis visits a party and meets Gray for the second time. He flirts with her, which makes Jason jealous. Gray forces himself up to Mavis, which makes her upset and angry. She leaves the party and finds out her mother has left her to marry Steve. She decides to marry as well and proposes to Jason. However, they soon find out they are too young.
When word hits town a guy named Morton Sanders (Henry Hebert) is planning to take over the city, some of the inhabitants, including Mavis, threaten him to go away. Later that night, Morton is found dead and the police are looking after everyone who was involved. The police visits the Hawn house, but Mavis' grandfather (Fred Huntley
Fred Huntley
Fred Huntley was an American silent film actor and director.Fred Huntley made his theater debut at London's Covent Garden in 1879...
) forces them to go away. While holding them under his gunshot, Mavis packs her stuff and goes hiding in the forest. The next day, John Burnham visits her and convinces her to go to trial to proof her innocence.
In court, the lawyer of the other party demands for her to be hanged. The town folks try to defend her by all admitting they have shot Morton. Mavis is discharged and finally decides to go to school. Mr. Burnham, Gray and Marjorie are all pleased with Mavis' decision. Jason however, becomes jealous again when she starts hanging out with Gray at school and leaves her.
Six years pass. Mavis has been adopted by the rich Colonel Pendleton (W.H. Bainbridge). One day she receives a letter from her mother, announcing she is getting old and will most-likely die soon. She decides to visit her mom and finds out Steve killed her father. He has become violent and takes it out on Martha. Mavis tries to help her and shoots Steve. Martha survives the incident and takes Mavis in to live with her. Mavis is reunited with a grown-up Jason and they marry.
Cast
- Mary PickfordMary PickfordMary Pickford was a Canadian-born motion picture actress, co-founder of the film studio United Artists and one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
- Mavis Hawn - Harold GoodwinHarold GoodwinHarold Goodwin was an American film actor who performed in over 225 films.Born in Peoria, Illinois, Goodwin began his film career while still in his teens in the 1915 film short Mike's Elopement. One of his most popular roles of the silent era was that of Jeff Brown in the 1927 Buster Keaton...
- Young Jason Honeycutt - Allan Sears - Jason Honeycutt
- Fred HuntleyFred HuntleyFred Huntley was an American silent film actor and director.Fred Huntley made his theater debut at London's Covent Garden in 1879...
- Granpap Jason Hawn - Claire McDowellClaire McDowellClaire McDowell was an American actress of the silent era. She appeared in 360 films between 1908 and 1945. Still somewhat of a youthful beauty when she started in early silent films she appeared in numerous short & early feature films. She graduated to playing character and mother types...
- Martha Hawn - Sam De GrasseSam De GrasseSamuel Alfred De Grasse was a Canadian actor. Born in Bathurst, New Brunswick, he trained to be a dentist....
- Steve Honeycutt - W.H. Bainbridge - Colonel Pendleton
- John GilbertJohn Gilbert (actor)John Gilbert was an American actor and a major star of the silent film era.Known as "the great lover," he rivaled even Rudolph Valentino as a box office draw...
- Gray Pendleton - Betty BoutonBetty BoutonBetty Bouton was an American actress. She appeared in 16 films between 1919 and 1924, with her last film being the Samuel Goldwyn part-Technicolor production Cytherea .-External links:...
- Marjorie Lee - Henry Hebert - Morton Sanders
- Fred WarrenFred WarrenFrederick Windsor 'Freddie' Warren was a Welsh professional footballer and Wales international.-Club career:...
- John Burnham