The Shepherd of the Hills
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Harold Bell Wright
Harry G. Lonsdale
Cathrine Curtis
George Mcdaniel
Don Bailey
Elizabeth Rhodes
Film Details
Synopsis
An old man from the city comes to Mutton Hollow in the Ozarks to make amends for his son, an artist, who deserted the girl who posed for a picture which made him famous, and bore his child after he left. The old man becomes a shepherd for Old Matt Matthews, the girl's father. The shepherd's kindly influence and teachings are appreciated by the mountain folk, who stop moonshiners from killing him. Young Matt loves Samantha "Sammy" Lane, the town's belle, but she is engaged to Ollie Stewart, who has promised to take her to the city when he inherits his uncle's fortune. After Ollie goes there, Sammy has the shepherd teach her to be "a lady" for Ollie, but when Ollie returns, Sammy, now transformed, disapproves of the way he has changed. She sends him away and marries young Matt. Meanwhile, the shepherd finds his son dying in a cave. He had returned and found his lover dead, and stayed to be near his son, Little Pete. The shepherd persuades Old Matt to forgive his son before the son dies.
Cast
Harry G. Lonsdale
Cathrine Curtis
George Mcdaniel
Don Bailey
Elizabeth Rhodes
Lon Poff
C. Edward Raynor
Bert Sprotte
George Hackathorn
Louis Darclay
E. K. Kendall
Ardita Mellonino
William P. Du Vaull
J. Edwin Brown
Film Details
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
A pre-production news item about this film says that E. J. Vallejo was to be the cameraman, but Homer Scott is credited as cameraman in a review. Vallejo May have been involved in the planning stages. L. F. Gottschalk is mentioned as assistant director in a pre-production article, while a review credits him as the co-director. According to one news item, the film opened at a theater on May 18, 1919, but as it was reviewed early as January 25, 1919, it May have been shown elsewhere earlier. Sources conflict regarding three actors in the film. Moving Picture World lists Guy C. Klaws as "Wash Gibbs," Lawrence Coghlan as "Ollie Stewart," and Charles O'Moore as "The Artist," while other reviews and sources list the actors as given above. While some sources say that some of the scenes were shot in the Ozark mountains, one source states that the exterior scenes were to be shot in the mountains beyond Pasadena. This was the first film of the Harold Bell Wright Story Picture Corp., which was located in Hollywood. Another film made from the same source, with the same name, was released on January 1, 1928 by First National Pictures; it starred Alec B. Francis and was directed by Albert Rogell (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1921-30; F2.4981). Paramount released another version in 1941, with John Wayne starring and Henry Hathaway directing. Macco Productions made yet another version in 1964, with Richard Arlen starring and Ben Parker directing (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1961-70; F6.4459).
