The Violin of M’sieur (1914)

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Etienne Girardot | Clara Kimball Young | James Young (Director)

Rest of cast:

James Young | Helen Connelly | Shep the Dog | William Addison Lathrop (Story)

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“The Violin of M’Sieur”

A two-reel Vitagraph production, written by William A. Lathrop and directed by James Young.

Reviewed by Louis Reeves Harrison.

Père Gerome — Etienne Giradot
Yvonne — Clara Kimball Young
Jean — James Young
Little Yvonne — Helen Connelly
Napoleon, the dog — Shep

The simple story of an old man, whose gentle sweetness of nature and knowledge of music protected him amid the active destruction of war between France and Germany and amid the humiliations of extreme poverty. He even escapes death for striking a Prussian officer for attempted familiarity with his pretty daughter, Yvonne. When the Prussians capture the town where Père Gerome dreams away his peaceful days playing on a valuable Cremona, “M’sieur,” that is Père Gerome, goes to the door of his cottage with lovely Yvonne. French soldiers are falling in death and agony all about these two innocents, but they escape until the officers spy the French beauty. One of them chucks her under the chin and this enrages poor old M’sieur to a point that he breaks his precious instrument over the officer’s head. For this he is led away to be executed or languish in a German prison.

Yvonne has a lover, Jean, to whom she is engaged, with her father’s approval, but Jean is much more human than heroic. He is husky enough to join the army, but he spends most of his time running away. He runs away with a priceless possession in the person of Yvonne and occupies his time so well in the pursuits of peace — how much time I do not know, as there were no sub-titles in the version shown me — that he acquires wife, home and baby, Yvonne the wife. That part of the story goes to the extreme of simplicity and is, very fortunately, not dwelt on to any extent, as it is destitute of other interest than that infused by the personalities of Clara Kimball Young and James Young, both deserving of opportunity the story does not afford. They do next to nothing in a charming manner.

“M’sieur” is released from duress by the Prussians, partially through a common fondness for music, the language of all nations, and he goes wandering. He suffers at times, and, at others, he kindles the flame of human kindness, but he endures privation with the philosophy of long and varied experience. He wanders aimlessly until that destiny or unseen power that directs the complex workings of human existence leads his steps to a cottage where a little girl listens to his musical appeal. The little girl’s papa and mama have their attention attracted by the little one and they become strangely affected in listening to the old violinist’s quavering notes. The ending is that of reunion and presents one of many attractive scenes well calculated to please those of inborn picture sense.

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Scene from The Violin of M’Sieur (Vitagraph)

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Collection: Moving Picture World, June 1914