AllMovie

With Madge Bellamy's doll-like beauty and big brown eyes, it's not surprising that this adaptation of the R.D. Blackmore novel made her a star, even though she really didn't have a lot to do (her talents would be better used later on in comedy and in flapper roles). As the heroic farmer John Ridd, John Bowers didn't find his histrionic talents overtaxed, either; this was typical of director (Maurice Tourneur), who was always more interested in atmosphere than he was in giving his stars "great emotional moments." If any actor stands out, it's veteran Frank Keenan, who didn't need a lot of directorial input to create an imposing, yet sympathetic presence in Sir Charles Ensor. Tourneur was the perfect choice to make a period drama like this one -- he vividly re-creates 17th century England in all its rough, rural beauty and royal majesty. Interestingly, trade paper Moving Picture World found two scenes less than credible: the scene in which Ridd rescues Lorna from a forced wedding to Carver Doone (Donald McDonald) and the film's climax, in which the townsfolk finish off the Doones once and for all. These two scenes stand up quite nicely today for an audience used to seeing such "improbable feats" (and more) in other films. This picture was beautifully restored in 2001, and, while it's not one of the great films of the silent era, it's a nice example of Maurice Tourneur's work.