'A Trap for Santa Claus' is a cute little drama

A Trap for Santa Claus (1909)
Starring: Marion Leonard, Gladys Egan, Henry B. Walthall, John Tansey, William J. Butler, and Mack Sennett
Director: D.W. Griffith
Rating: Six of Ten Stars

After a deadbeat husband and father (Wathall) abandons his wife (Leonard) and children (Egan and Tansey), the woman inherits a mansion and a fortune from her aunt. They are all unexpectedly reunited on Christmas Eve when the man tries to burglarize the home that, unbeknownst to him, his family is now living in.

"A Trap for Santa Claus" is a fast-moving short film from a filmmaker who helped create the visual language of cinema. Although less innovative than works that would follow later, this cute little Christmas film is full of scenes that are framed and performed by actors who are more effectively blocked and directed for film than was typical in films of this vintage. 

As should be expected, there are aspects that have not aged well. Among these are some pantomiming by adult stars Marion Leonard and Henry B. Wathall, as they successfully convey plot points and emotions with gestures. This aspect of their performances will not seem as annoying as it might in some films, because it's balanced out by the effective blocking and more natural gestures and subdued character interactions than was common during this period. The two child actors featured also give performances that feel less overblown than one might expect -- and they even server as effective comic relief as the story moves into its climactic sequence. (John Tansey even does a pratfall with a style that one wouldn't think an 8-year-old would possess!)

I was torn between assigning this film a Six or Seven Star rating. I eventually decided to go with the lower of the two, because, although I appreciate the quick pacing of the film and the universally good performances by the entire cast, the pat happy ending that arises from a Christmas Miracle of coincidences was just a bit much for me. I know this is a Christmas story, so I expected there to be redemption and forgiveness for the deadbeat dad before the film was over, but it felt unearned and too easy. The ending isn't terrible, but I think the century that's passed since this film was released, and the many Christmas movies that have followed, have upped expectations from fare like this. (Of course, with its running time of 15 minutes, there also wasn't a whole lot of time to fit in a proper redemption arc.)

In the final analysis, though, this is a film that's still worth watching, and we've embedded it below for your convenience. Pour yourself a glass of eggnog, sit back, and enjoy!

An excellent drama with confused intertitles?

The Country Doctor (1909)
Starring: Frank Powell, Florence Lawrence, Kate Bruce, Gladys Egan, Rose King, Mary Pickford, and Adele DeGarde
Director: D.W. Griffith
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

A country doctor (Powell) makes a fateful choice when his daughter (Egan) and another girl (DeGarde) are both struck with the same deadly illness at the same time.

"The Country Doctor" is another early and excellent short film from D.W. Griffith. Once again, he delivers a swiftly moving flick with not a second wasted and where we are treated to all actors giving their best performances. With many dramatic films of this vintage, the difference in film acting styles from what was common in 1909 (which were stagey and overly emotive) and the more natural-seeming approaches today can make them difficult to watch at times. Not so with films from Griffith... yes, there's big gestures and a certain degree of posing and posturing, but it doesn't seem quite as over-the-top as it does elsewhere, and it's almost always balanced with genuine-seeming facial expressions and more subtle body language. I might even go so far to say that if you're among those who avoid silent films because of the acting, you might still want to check this one out. Because it's clear from this film why Florence Lawrence, Frank Powell, and Mary Pickford were big stars in their day.

 

As is often the case, I am giving everyone the opportunity to watch the film I'm reviewing, but I'm dropping it here, in the middle of the review rather than at the end. This is because, while I liked almost everything about this film--from it's bright, airy opening scenes, to the cross-cutting between two locations as the story unfolds, to the excellent performances by the actors--the issues I do have relate to elements that can be considered spoilers.

So... please watch "The Country Doctor". Then, you can continue to read my comments below. (By the way, the version I've embedded has no soundtrack music. I found that the 2010 remaster of Mike Oldfield's "Hergest Ridge Pt. 1" works amazingly well for most of this film, except at the very end where the music becomes a little too upbeat. (Well, maybe. See below. And you can click here to open "Hergest Ridge Pt. 1" in a different window to play while watching the film.)

 

As much as I enjoyed this film, there was one thing I found it to be a head-scratcher that the film announces itself to carry a spiritual message--do the moral thing and you'll be rewarded in the afterlife--but then doesn't quite ever deliver on that promise. While the titular Country Doctor is very much self-sacrificing and obviously the sort of man who puts community above himself and even his family (given he prioritizes treating another patient over own sick daughter), there's no sense that he will be rewarded in the end. In fact, the final intertitle of the film seems to imply the opposite, both for the doctor, his family, and perhaps the entire community. (This strange disconnect between the film's opening and closing moments made a difference between me giving it a rating of Seven instead of Eight.)

With said that... what do you think? Am I putting too much weight on an element that isn't even really part of the film itself? Did I steer you wrong when I praised the pacing and acting of this great little drama? Leave a comment below!