Lost, but Not Forgotten:Ā A Doll's House (1922)
Direction:Ā Charles Bryant; assisted by Albert Kelley
Scenario:Ā Peter M. Winters (pen name of Nazimova)
Original Play:Ā Henrik IbsenĀ
Camera:Ā Charles Van Enger & Neal Jack (2nd camera); assisted by Paul Ivano & Lewis Wilson
Cutting:Ā Lou Ostrow; assisted by Samuel Zimbalist
Wardrobe:Ā Lilliam Turner
Studio:Ā Nazimova Productions (production) & United Artists (distribution)
Performers:Ā Nazimova, Alan Hale, Wedgewood Nowell, Nigel De Brulier, Florence Fisher, Clara Lee, Philippe de Lacy, Barbara Maier, Elinor Oliver
Premiere:Ā Opening week: February 11-18, Strand Theatre, 1579 Broadway, Manhattan, NY and the Strand Brooklyn Theatre, 647 Brooklyn, NY.
Status:Ā presumed entirely lost
Length:Ā 7 reels or roughly 77 minutes
SynopsisĀ (synthesized from magazine summaries of the plot)
In a comfortable flat, Nora Helmer (Nazimova) keeps house for her husband, Torvald (Hale), and their three children. Nora works hard to keep Torvald happy by playing the role of his ālittle squirrel.ā
fromĀ Moving Picture World, 18 February 1922
Things were not always so comfortable for the Helmers, however. Three years prior, Torvald was gravely ill and the doctor ordered special treatment and a trip south to save his life. Nora secretly approached a money-lender, Krogstad (Nowell), to pay for Torvaldās treatment and forged her now-deceased fatherās signature on a bond. In the intervening years, Nora has scrimped, saved, and taken in extra work to pay off the loanāstill keeping the secret from her āprincipledā husband, who doesnāt approve of money-lenders.
Now, Torvald has fully recovered his health and Nora is one payment away from paying the loan in full. Torvald gets promoted to an official position at the bank and Krogstad now works under him. Upon learning that Krogstad has an unsavory past, Torvald decides to fire himāplanning on offering his position to Noraās childhood friend, Mrs. Linden (Fisher), who is now a single mother in need.Ā
fromĀ Exhibitors Herald, 28 January 1922
Krogstad reveals to Nora that he knows she forged her fatherās signature and that he will expose her to her husband if she doesnāt get Torvald to reinstate him at the bank.Ā
Nora desperately tries to keep a cheerful, playful demeanor with Torvald. When Torvald sermonizes to her about moral turpitude due to bad mothers, she panics and feels her downfall is imminent.Ā
Nora determines that she may be able to pay Krogstad off, and asks a family friend, Dr. Rank (De Brulier), for a loan. Unexpectedly, Rank takes this moment to confess his feelings for Nora. Nora rebuffs him, but now feels as though she has nowhere to turn.
fromĀ Motion Picture Magazine, May 1922
On Christmas Eve, Nora knows that there is a letter from Krogstad in their post box, but only Torvald has a key. Nora frantically distracts him from opening the box before they leave for a holiday masquerade party. Torvald notices Noraās frenetic energy in how she dances at the party, but doesnāt know the cause.Ā
When they return home, Torvald retrieves the mail. Before he can open the letter from Krogstad, Nora confesses that she deceived him to save his life. Torvald is furious that Nora has endangered his reputation and questions if she is fit to be a mother while in the same breath stating that he will pay Krogstad off.
However, when Torvald opens the letter, his mood turns on a dime. Krogstad has had a change of heart due to the influence of Mrs. Linden, who also happens to be an old sweetheart of Krogstadās. The letter contains the cancelled note. Torvald grabs Nora and dances her around the room, overjoyed that his reputation is no longer in danger.
Nora realizes all of her acrobatics (literal and metaphorical) to keep Torvald happy have been pointless. She has sacrificed so much of her energy and independence to merely become āa toy of a selfish man.ā The mask has fallen. While Torvald is ready to pretend that nothing has changed, Nora knows that she cannot go back to being his doll. Nora packs up her belongings and leaves the flatāintent on becoming her own person.
Final title card: āThe End, or, Rather the Beginning.ā
A Dollās HouseĀ (1922) was Nazimovaās first independently produced film after her contract with Metro ended.Ā
Some of Nazimovaās first roles on the American stage were Ibsen plays (āHedda Gabler,ā āA Dollās House,ā & āThe Master Builder,ā to be specific), so this film was an attempt to capture some of that work on film.
Only 8 out of Nazimovaās 18 silent films survive today and only 3 have been made available on home video or streaming. [I recently re-watchedĀ SalomeĀ (1922) on theĀ Pioneers: First Women FilmmakersĀ set and I canāt recommend picking up this set enough!]
āWar Bridesā (1916, presumed lost)
āRevelationā (1918, extant at MGM)
āToys of Fateā (1918, extant at NĆ”rodnĆ filmovĆ½ archiv)
āA Woman of Franceā (1918, short, presumed lost)
āEye for Eyeā (1918, extant at Gosfilmofond)
āOut of the Fogā (1919, presumed lost)
āThe Red Lanternā (1919, extant at CinĆ©mathĆØque Royale de Belgique, Gosfilmofond)
āThe Bratā (1919, presumed lost)
āStronger than Deathā (1920, extant at MGM & Eastman House)
āHeart of a Childā (1920, presumed lost*)
āMadame Peacockā (1920, extant at CinĆ©mathĆØque Royale de Belgique)
āBillionsā (1920, presumed lost)
āCamilleā (1921, extant)
āA Dollās Houseā (1922, presumed lost)
āSalomeā (1922, extant)
āMadonna of the Streetsā (1924, presumed lost)
āThe Redeeming Sinā (1925, presumed lost)
āMy Sonā (1925, presumed lost)
*The Women Film Pioneers Project website has this film listed as extant at CinĆ©mathĆØque Royale de Belgique, but LOC lists it having no known archival holdings.
[Survival status checked via LOCās Silent Feature Film Database, and re-checked at relevant archives when available]
Transcribed Sources & Annotation over on the WMM Blog!
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