Ramona


1916

Brief Synopsis

On the estate of Senora Moreno in Southern California, the senora's adopted daughter Ramona lives. She falls in love with Alessandro, an Indian of noble heritage. When her adoptive mother forbids their marriage, Ramona Alessandro elope, only to find bigotry, misfortune, and finally tragedy wherever they turn.

Film Details

Genre
Drama
Romance
Release Date
Feb 1916
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Clune Film Producing Co.
Distribution Company
State Rights
Country
United States
Screenplay Information
Based on the novel Ramona by Helen Hunt Jackson (Boston, 1884).

Technical Specs

Sound
Silent
Color
Black and White
Film Length
10-14 reels

Synopsis

During the nineteenth century, while white settlers in Southern California cruelly mistreat the Mission Indians, Alessandro, a full-blooded Indian, marries Ramona, who is half-Scot and half-Indian. Hounded by the prejudiced townspeople, the couple moves from community to community until one of the settlers murders Alessandro.

Film Details

Genre
Drama
Romance
Release Date
Feb 1916
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Clune Film Producing Co.
Distribution Company
State Rights
Country
United States
Screenplay Information
Based on the novel Ramona by Helen Hunt Jackson (Boston, 1884).

Technical Specs

Sound
Silent
Color
Black and White
Film Length
10-14 reels

Quotes

Trivia

Notes

Many of the scenes were shot at authentic period locations in California. Ramona was released in varying lengths. The director, Donald Crisp, appearing in the film as Jim Farrar, chose the pseudonym "James Needham." The film had its premiere at Clune's Auditorium in Los Angeles on February 7, 1916. In the Los Angeles showings, and possibly at other cities, the presentation included two stage settings showing a mission where men and women received the blessings of one of the Padres, and an Indian campfire scene in a valley in the mountains. Neither scene contained dialogue. The film opened in New York on April 5, 1916. Ramona was the first film of the Clune Film Producing Co., formed by W. H. Clune after the success of The Birth of a Nation, which had its premiere in Clune's Auditorium, convinced Clune and his general manager Lloyd Brown that the demand for big productions had not been met by the supply of these films. For information on other versions of Ramona, for the 1936 Twentieth Century-Fox film directed by Henry King and starring Loretta Young.