| The Lamb | |
|---|---|
Seena Owen, Douglas Fairbanks in The Lamb |
|
| Directed by | Christy Cabanne |
| Produced by | Fine Arts Film Company |
| Written by | 1.Bronson Howard, 2. Winchell Smith, 3.Victor Mapes (play:The New Henrietta) ----------- Granville Barker Christy Cabanne (screenplay) |
| Starring | Douglas Fairbanks, Sr Seena Owen |
| Music by | Joseph Carl Breil |
| Cinematography | William Fildew |
| Distributed by | Triangle Film Corporation |
| Release date(s) | September 23, 1915(premiere) November 7, 1915(nationwide) |
| Running time | 5 reels |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent film |
The Lamb is a 1915 silent film that was Douglas Fairbanks's first starring role in a film. Fairbanks apparently played an extra or warm up part in Martyrs of the Alamo before releasing The Lamb. Surviving stills of The Lamb show Fairbanks at one point as an Indian brave in a near state of nudity. The Lamb was directed by Christy Cabanne and is preserved at the George Eastman House, Rochester New York.[1] [2]
The genesis of this film comes from a popular 1913 Broadway play called The New Henrietta, in which Douglas Fairbanks co starred with William H. Crane, Amelia Bingham and a very young Patricia Collinge. D. W. Griffith, writing as Granville Barker, along with director Christy Cabanne essentially expanded the play beyond the plush nouveau riche apartment setting of the play and provided a western element to the story. This would give Fairbanks a chance to show his physical prowess cinematically and loosen the play from what would be stage bound constraints. Also Griffith altered characters ie Fairbanks in the film is called Gerald with his parent being his mother(Kate Toncray) , whereas in the play he was called Nick with his parent being his father played by Crane.[3] [4]
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