A DOLL'S HOUSE

Released 6/11/17 by Universal/Bluebird Photoplays; Director: Joseph De Grasse; Screenplay: Ida May Park, from the play be Henrik Ibsen; Cinematography: King Gray; 5 reels

CAST: Dorothy Phillips (Nora Helmer), William Stowell (Torvald Helmer), Lon Chaney (Nils Krogstad), Sydney Deane (Dr. Rank), Miriam Shelby (Christina Linde) Helen Wright (Anna)

SYNOPSIS: Torvald Helmer is taken ill, and his wife Nora cares for him until he recovers. Shortly thereafter, he is made manager of the local bank. He believed that Nora survived while he was ill by borrowing money from her father. In fact, she obtained money by forging her father's signature with the help of Nils Krogstad, who works in the bank. When Torvald is made manager, he dismisses Krogstad, charging him with embezzlement. Krogstad threatens to expose Nora if she does not protect him. Christina Linde once loved Krogstad, but married for money, and is now widowed. She comes to stay with the Helmers, and Nora persuades Torvald to give her Krogstad's position in the bank. Krogstad makes good on his threat and writes a letter to Torvald exposing Nora's crime. After mailing the letter, he relents and mails a second note denying the charges, and returning the note that Nora has signed as security. Relieved that his good name will not be tarnished, Torvald begins to lecture Nora on her conduct. She denounces his cruelty, and leaves the house, wandering into the night never to return.

"As a means of popular entertainment it is doubtful that the screen version of A DOLL'S HOUSE...will become much of a success. The absence of the theatrical in the Ibsen method and the difficulty of conveying the fine shades of meaning in the dialogue without the aid of speech render the task of the actors in the cast doubly hard...The Helmer of William Stowell, the Krogstad of Lon Chaney, the Dr. Rank of Sydney Deane, the Christina of Miriam Shelby and the Anna of Helen Wright are all worthy of praise. ---Moving Picture World

NOTES: Some sources list DeGrasse as screenwriter, but Park was almost certainly the screenwriter on this. Some sources incorrectly list Evelyn Selbie as playing Christina.

Return to Filmography