The Trail of the Lonesome Pine is a 1923 American silentWestern film directed by Charles Maigne and starring Mary Miles Minter. It was adapted by Will M. Ritchey from the play and novel of the same name by John Fox Jr.[1] This was the second time that Maigne had directed Minter in an adaptation of a Fox novel, the first being 1920's A Cumberland Romance. This was Minter's final film; her contract with Paramount Pictures was not renewed,[2] and she stated that she was "through" with films.[3] As with many of Minter's features, The Trail of the Lonesome Pine is thought to be a lost film.[4]
Plot
As described in various film magazine reviews,[5][6][7][8][9] June Tolliver (Minter) is a girl of the Kentucky mountains, whose clan has been feuding with the Falins for generations. When engineer John Hale (Moreno) comes to the mountains to aid in the development of the coal and iron industries, June falls in love with the handsome "furriner" (foreigner).
Hale sends June away to the city, funding her education with the intention of marrying her on her return. In the meantime the feud between the clans deepens, and Hale, having been made a deputy, is keen not to take sides despite his love for June.
The day that June returns from the city, her education complete, her uncle Rufe Tolliver (Brady) is arrested for the killing of a policeman. June is called upon as a witness, and although her clan expect her to remain loyal to them, she does not lie.
June's father Judd Tolliver (Torrence), the leader of the clan, vows that he will not see a relative hanged. Instead, he arranges to have Rufe shot on the way to his execution, and in the ensuing chaos Hale is also wounded. June intervenes to beg for peace between the clans, and when Hale recovers, he and June are wed.
The Trail of the Lonesome Pine was the second film on which cinematographer James Wong Howe earned his reputation leading him to become one of the most sought cinematographer of the era. Listed as first camera, essentially, Howe was considered the director of photography.[10] Specifically, Howe made Mary Miles Minter's blue eyes register on orthochromatic film with a filter.[11] With the success evident in Howe's work, especially in lighting, "every blue-eyed actor and actress wanted him as their photographer."[10]
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