Tol'able David (1921)

Tol'able David is a magnificent film, carefully transferred from the best available elements, and starring the great Richard Barthelmess (Broken Blossoms) in the title role. This silent classic chronicles David's passage into adulthood as he confronts three crooks looking for trouble. A delightful gem from film's early years.

Charming story in spite of some flaws

This 1921 coming-of-age melodrama is set in a provincial small town in West Virginia, home of the Kinemons and the neighboring family the Hatburns. The hero of the story, David Kinemon (Richard Barthelmess), knows he's no longer a little boy, yet no one around him, not even his love interest, Esther Hatburn, seems to understand that. No matter what he says or does to try to prove that he's becoming a man, growing up, becoming more mature, they still think of him and treat him as a kid. Even when his older brother Allen's wife Rose gives birth to a son, making David no longer the family baby, his mother still insists that he'll always be her baby. His one big ambition, to drive the mail wagon, is continually denied because his father and brother don't think he's old or responsible enough yet to do it.

Trouble invades this small farming town when some cousins of Grandfather Hatburn show up and make themselves at home on the Hatburn farm to avoid the police looking for them. Grandfather Hatburn hates the idea of these three escaped felons living in his house and acting like they own the place, as does Esther, but they're afraid of what might happen if they tried to throw them out or contacted the authorities. The Hatburn cousins make trouble for the other people in town too, particularly the Kinemons. Things get so bad that David's family has to leave town. Finally, he's given a chance to prove himself by driving the mail wagon, but that task soon turns into a much more serious contest of courage and maturity when he finds himself dealing with the evil Hatburn cousins again.

Overall, I found this a charming coming-of-age film, although I don't have any nostalgic or sentimental feelings towards smalltown provincial America of yore. The core theme, of a young man proving himself a capable mature brave adult, is the most important thing, and not the particular time and place where the story is set. The melodrama can also be a bit over the top (particularly a certain sequence of events which happen one after the other), although I must admit that prior to this pivotal dramatic turning-point, I found the film a bit slow-moving, spending so much time establishing the characters and setting instead of just geting down to the action. I was also bothered by how much violence there is, so much bloodlust, although at least by today's standards, the violence seems rather mild, and it fits in with the plot instead of characters just doing mean violent things to one another for their own sake. Looking past some of these flaws, it is a surprisingly charming and moving story that anyone could relate to. March 12, 2008

So-so undistinguished silent film

This film is a lukewarm piece of americana. It is meant as a hymn to a bygone pastoral era but seems contrived and manipulative to me. The directing is competent, the acting fair. Nothing stands out here but the scenery. The laughably speedy manner in which members of David's family are crippled, his dog shot, his father dies of a heart attack (all in one afternoon) is a bit over the top. It is only mildly pleasant, nothing more. Not a terrible film but not that important or indispensable either. January 29, 2002

Great! Much More Than 'Tolerable'!

Watching this film is an amazing experience -- something like a great mixture of looking through the personal scrapbook of someone from a bygone era, hearing a wonderful legend retold, and feeling your own visceral emotions fired with electricity.

In making the film, the characterizations and plot were designed in such a way that they are familiar but also unique. The story defies some of what have come to be conventions (stereotypes) for supporting roles. And, it betrays what have always been simpler expectations for a story with a happy ending. While there is sorrow and loss in modern film and earlier film, here they are portrayed without the often contingent silver-linings. Bad things happen in this film...and we are not given the immediate sense that all will be right in the end.

The title role is filled admirably by Richard Barthelmess. He did fine work here -- no wonder it led to his making as a star. But for me, the film was made by the principal heavy -- played by Ernest Torrence. What a creep he managed to portray -- a villain with a completely perverted moral sense. And Torrence held nothing back in his postures and expressions. He had this character nailed. A stunning performance.

Director Henry King did marvelous work with this villain and all of the film's elements. Portraying an idyllic rural atmosphere which is soon troubled by the arrival of lawlessness (Torrence and two other actors who play the nefarious Hatburn family), he demonstrates an ability to frame a scene with great visual appeal. He also manages to be economical in a sense -- one camera angle captures the majority of a scene's action and this is supplemented by occasional close-up reaction shots. His camera positioning is expert in this. We are given the best angle -- not several lesser angles from which to view.

I could not leave out mention of the charming Gladys Hulette who played the sweet romantic lead in this film. As the young girl, Esther, who is a neighbor to David and his family, she gave an incomparable performance. This role called for her to do much more than bat her eyelashes at the camera and she accomplished it with skill.

So, yes, this film does end happily...but I'll say no more.

It is the sort of film which should be appreciated as something other than a relic from the cinema's past. It is a postcard from an earlier day -- the message isn't as simple as "wish you were here" though. It has much more to tell us than that! March 13, 2001

A Silent David and Goliath

Tol'able David is one of the finest silent films which I have seen. It seems more realistic than many silents. This is partly because of the location shooting, partly because the story is neither overly melodramatic nor comic. Barthelmess as the David character gives a wonderful performance while Torrance as the Goliath character is only just a little over the top in his villainy. He was perhaps more suited to the comic monster type of his later Captain Hook. The real revelation though, is Hulette. She is almost completely forgotten now, but clearly had great talent. Her performance is realistic and charming. She is quite simply adorable. The print on this DVD has been formed from separate sources. Thus it looks slightly different from scene to scene. There is some damage, but it rarely detracts. It is however, slightly distracting to see variations in the tinting. It is inconsistent to have one green scene when the rest of the movie uses greys and browns. One of the best features of this DVD is the music, which is a series of wonderful folksy tunes which fit in so well with the action that even David's harmonica playing is included. As an added bonus the DVD includes an interesting interview with director Henry King and some useful, extensive sleeve notes. Tol'able David is not as well known as many silent films, but really it ought to be considered as among the very best. February 22, 2001

LUKE HATBURN

Widely considered one of the finest early U.S. action films. Under Harry King's stellar direction, it quickly and quietly becomes a mesmorizing film; it's like watching an antique photo album/scrapbook come to life! David's older brother is killed by the notorious Hatburns, and ironically, the girl he loves is one herself! As the honest, non-violent postal worker, David shows everyone he's no coward, and everything comes out in the wash at the end. I just watched this little flick at the home of my video store-owner friend and I was impressed by this essentially timeless slice of rural Americana which was directed by Henry King (long considered his masterwork). The film contains one of the greatest fight scenes recorded on film, and it's nothing short of revelation watching Torrence as Luke Hatburn, who delivers perhaps the greatest interpretation of villainy in the history of the cinema! May 20, 2000

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