Man's Genesis is a short 1912 silent American film[1] starring Robert Harron and Mae Marsh. It was directed by D. W. Griffith for the Biograph Company and survives from an era from which many films are now lost. The movie's plot involves a grandfather recounting a story about cavemen fighting over a woman to his squabbling grandchildren.[2] The work was described as being the first "primitive man" film ever made[3] and, at the time, as the "greatest photoplay of its kind ever made".[4] It is credited as being responsible for creating the pre-historic film boom that occurred in the following years.[5] The film was re-issued alongside other Biograph films on July 23, 1915.[6]
The film begins with two children in a disagreement that they decide to fix by physically harming each other. The fight is stopped by their grandfather and, as a method to teach them that physical violence is wrong, he tells them a story about Early Man and the conflicts and murders that occurred when strong young cavemen became involved in fistfights. The character Weakhands is, in accordance with his name, unable to win any fights involving his fists and thus is not popular and is unable to win any of the suitor battles. The cavewoman he is attracted to, Lilywhite, is required to go and find a husband after the death of her mother and she finds herself in love with Weakhands because of his nice and gentle nature. However Bruteforce, a violent bully of the tribe, fights off Weakhands and kidnaps Lilywhite to be his wife. After repeated attempts and failures by Weakhands to rescue her, he accidentally comes across the idea of combining a stick and stone into a club-like weapon, thus creating the first true weapon ever made. With this weapon, he is able to defeat Bruteforce and the other men of the tribe and regain Lilywhite as his wife.[7]
Critical receptionedit
A review in The Nebraska State Journal described the film as "marvelous" for being able to combine the themes of "love and hate" and the conflict between weakness and intelligence against brutish strength. It also criticized the "lamentable lack of vision and imagination" of other filmmakers, in a comparison between their works and Man's Genesis.[8]The Fresno Morning Republican called the film a "powerful conception - a real Darwinian thought" and said that it was "marvelously executed".[9] Detailed as "splendidly portrayed" in the Harrisburg Daily Independent, the film was considered to be a "distinct departure" from the other usual films produced in the era, and the newspaper said that it dealt with a "theory of grave importance", Darwin'stheory of evolution.[10] Including a description of the plot, The Moving Picture World concluded that the film "enthralls" and that the "illusion is complete" in presenting a realistic world of Early Man.[11] In a review on the 1915 re-issue in The Moving Picture World, the educational content of the film and the use of accurate location filming were praised, with the conclusion that the film had a "tone of individuality which stamps it as a credit to any program".[12]Vachel Lindsay in his 1915 book The Art of the Moving Picture said the film was a "Griffith masterpiece" and considered how the American fascination with automobile tinkering and other mechanical activities reflects on the film's initial creation of tools.[13]
Large amounts of commentary were made, both positive and negative, after a showing of the film in Fresno, California on August 29, 1912, with some audience members criticizing the idea that humans came from ape-like origins as shown in the film.[14]
^ abcdeDenig, Lynde (June 26, 1915). ""Man's Genesis" and "The Battle of Elderbush Gulch" Included in Second Installment of Notable Biograph Re-issues". Moving Picture World. p. 2110. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
^"Biograph Re-Issues Six More Griffith Pictures". Motion Picture News. Vol. 11, no. 25. June 26, 1915. p. 63. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
^"Man's Genesis Is Based on the Darwinian Theory of Evolution". The Montgomery Advertiser. September 12, 1915. Retrieved December 25, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Man's Genesis". Harrisburg Daily Independent. July 31, 1912. Retrieved December 25, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Comments On The Films". The Moving Picture World. July–September 1912. p. 343. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
^""Man's Genesis": Unusual One-Reel Biograph Re-Issue Directed by D.W. Griffith". The Moving Picture World. July 17, 1915. p. 514. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
genesis, short, 1912, silent, american, film, starring, robert, harron, marsh, directed, griffith, biograph, company, survives, from, from, which, many, films, lost, movie, plot, involves, grandfather, recounting, story, about, cavemen, fighting, over, woman, . Man s Genesis is a short 1912 silent American film 1 starring Robert Harron and Mae Marsh It was directed by D W Griffith for the Biograph Company and survives from an era from which many films are now lost The movie s plot involves a grandfather recounting a story about cavemen fighting over a woman to his squabbling grandchildren 2 The work was described as being the first primitive man film ever made 3 and at the time as the greatest photoplay of its kind ever made 4 It is credited as being responsible for creating the pre historic film boom that occurred in the following years 5 The film was re issued alongside other Biograph films on July 23 1915 6 Man s GenesisScene from Man s GenesisDirected byD W GriffithStarringMae MarshRobert HarronW Chrystie MillerWilfred LucasCharles Hill MailesProductioncompanyBiograph CompanyRelease dateJuly 11 1912 1912 July 11 United States Contents 1 Cast 2 Plot 3 Critical reception 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksCast editMae Marsh as Lilywhite 5 Robert Harron as Weakhands 5 W Chrystie Miller as Grandfather 5 Wilfred Lucas as Bruteforce 5 Charles Hill MailesPlot editThe film begins with two children in a disagreement that they decide to fix by physically harming each other The fight is stopped by their grandfather and as a method to teach them that physical violence is wrong he tells them a story about Early Man and the conflicts and murders that occurred when strong young cavemen became involved in fistfights The character Weakhands is in accordance with his name unable to win any fights involving his fists and thus is not popular and is unable to win any of the suitor battles The cavewoman he is attracted to Lilywhite is required to go and find a husband after the death of her mother and she finds herself in love with Weakhands because of his nice and gentle nature However Bruteforce a violent bully of the tribe fights off Weakhands and kidnaps Lilywhite to be his wife After repeated attempts and failures by Weakhands to rescue her he accidentally comes across the idea of combining a stick and stone into a club like weapon thus creating the first true weapon ever made With this weapon he is able to defeat Bruteforce and the other men of the tribe and regain Lilywhite as his wife 7 Critical reception editA review in The Nebraska State Journal described the film as marvelous for being able to combine the themes of love and hate and the conflict between weakness and intelligence against brutish strength It also criticized the lamentable lack of vision and imagination of other filmmakers in a comparison between their works and Man s Genesis 8 The Fresno Morning Republican called the film a powerful conception a real Darwinian thought and said that it was marvelously executed 9 Detailed as splendidly portrayed in the Harrisburg Daily Independent the film was considered to be a distinct departure from the other usual films produced in the era and the newspaper said that it dealt with a theory of grave importance Darwin s theory of evolution 10 Including a description of the plot The Moving Picture World concluded that the film enthralls and that the illusion is complete in presenting a realistic world of Early Man 11 In a review on the 1915 re issue in The Moving Picture World the educational content of the film and the use of accurate location filming were praised with the conclusion that the film had a tone of individuality which stamps it as a credit to any program 12 Vachel Lindsay in his 1915 book The Art of the Moving Picture said the film was a Griffith masterpiece and considered how the American fascination with automobile tinkering and other mechanical activities reflects on the film s initial creation of tools 13 Large amounts of commentary were made both positive and negative after a showing of the film in Fresno California on August 29 1912 with some audience members criticizing the idea that humans came from ape like origins as shown in the film 14 See also editOn the Origin of Species On the Genesis of SpeciesReferences edit Man s Genesis 1912 BFI Archived from the original on July 22 2017 Man s genesis Blackhawk Films November 16 1912 OCLC 173697053 via Open WorldCat Robert Harron and Mae Marsh Isis Tomorrow Pensacola News Journal August 27 1916 Retrieved December 25 2021 via Newspapers com Amusements The Penn Intelligencer Journal August 30 1915 Retrieved December 25 2021 via Newspapers com a b c d e Denig Lynde June 26 1915 Man s Genesis and The Battle of Elderbush Gulch Included in Second Installment of Notable Biograph Re issues Moving Picture World p 2110 Retrieved December 25 2021 Biograph Re Issues Six More Griffith Pictures Motion Picture News Vol 11 no 25 June 26 1915 p 63 Retrieved December 25 2021 Man s Genesis Is Based on the Darwinian Theory of Evolution The Montgomery Advertiser September 12 1915 Retrieved December 25 2021 via Newspapers com At The Theatre The Nebraska State Journal August 11 1912 Retrieved December 25 2021 via Newspapers com Rip Van Winkle and Man s Genesis The Fresno Morning Republican September 26 1912 Retrieved December 25 2021 via Newspapers com Man s Genesis Harrisburg Daily Independent July 31 1912 Retrieved December 25 2021 via Newspapers com Comments On The Films The Moving Picture World July September 1912 p 343 Retrieved December 25 2021 Man s Genesis Unusual One Reel Biograph Re Issue Directed by D W Griffith The Moving Picture World July 17 1915 p 514 Retrieved December 25 2021 Lindsay Vachel 1915 The Art of the Moving Picture Macmillan Inc pp 9 10 Were Men Ape Like In The Dark Ages The Fresno Morning Republican August 30 1912 Retrieved December 25 2021 via Newspapers com External links editThe film on Dailymotion Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Man 27s Genesis amp oldid 1215789941, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
