The Lonedale Operator (1911) User Reviews

Blanche Sweet is incredible in a good Griffith-directed Biograph.

[Kieran_Kenney · 7/10 · 10 June 2003]

Wow. It's hard to believe that Miss Blanche Sweet was fifteen when she was directed by the great D.W. Griffith in this Biograph production from 1911. Blanche, at such an early age, was not only extremely mature in terms her physique and baring, she was a remarkably accomplished actress. Her naturalistic acting translates well with modern audiences (at leased with all my friends to whom I've shown this movie). This film is a good one, suspenceful and atmospheric, but it's definatly not the best of Griffith's Biographs. It ranks pretty highly with the other work of his that I've seen. It is certainly aided by Sweet's performance, and also helpful the exemplary early use of "montage" which Griffith had been putting to use in his films as early as 1909. For a peak at what a great man like Griffith was doing before he made The Birth of a Nation (1915), Intolerance (1916) and Way Down East (1920), this is certainly one to take a good look or two at, just to get a peak at what the future had in store for cinema history.

A Smart and Spunky Lass

[romanorum1 · 7/10 · 8 October 2015]

Blanche Sweet stars as the daughter of an operator of a telegraph station located near to the railroad tracks. When her father (George Nichols) takes ill, she assumes temporary control of the station.

She waves goodbye to the train engineer and fireman. The latter has already flirted with her, but she had resisted kissing him. The train picks up the payroll for the Lonedale Mining Company as she is notified of the money shipment. After, two hobo-drifters hiding under the train see the young lady pick up the cash from the train. She spots them and immediately takes action by locking the station doors. Then she wires for help, waking up the dozing operator at the other end of the line. Nonetheless she faints from fright. Notified by the other operator, the trainmen now hasten to her station as she awakens. There is a race against time with film inter-cuts. Using a bench, the two bums eventually are able to break into her office. But in the darkness our heroine holds off the thieves with what appears to be a pistol. When the good guys arrive, they are surprised that she had skillfully used a wrench! (Note the early use of a close-up.) In deference to her quick thinking, the bad guys bow to her before being taken away to the hoosegow. The crisis is over, but she still will not kiss the fireman! He looks to be about 40 years-old anyway.

It is hard to believe that Blanche Sweet was only 15 years-old when this silent feature was made. She acts well and is the center of this one-reeler. And she is so charming! This is a decent early drama of the famed director D.W. Griffith when he was at the Biograph Company; it was written by Mack Sennett.

Fast paced and entertaining.

[hugoalvarezmanso · 7/10 · 9 February 2023]

This little movie follows the same structure and tropes of most of D. W. Griffith shorts of this era. These short often feel dated and very melodramatic from today's point of view, which is understandable. However, there is something about this particular movie that makes it standout from the rest.

In my opinion Blanche Sweet does a great job in this role. Given the acting style of the early 1910s, Sweet's performance feels more modern than most. Her performance add to the pace of the movie which is nicely achieved.

I would, personally, take out the "romance" tag for this movie and add the "action" one. To sum up, a nice 17 minutes watch readily available in YouTube, some uploads incorporate music score which makes the experience much better.

Very Good Drama With A Fine Performance By Young Blanche Sweet

[Snow Leopard · 22 August 2005]

This is a very good drama with a fine performance by Blanche Sweet who, almost unbelievably, was only 15 at the time. If D.W. Griffith had not remade it the following year (as the fine feature "The Girl and Her Trust), then Sweet and "The Lonedale Operator" might be better remembered.

The story is very similar to that in the better-known remake, with Sweet playing the daughter of a telegraph operator, who takes over when her father becomes ill, only to find herself thrust into a highly dangerous situation. The scenario was written by Mack Sennett, which makes it very interesting to imagine Sennett and the somber Griffith working together. It's surprisingly tight, and only a funny bit at the end (which works well) breaks the tension.

If you've seen and enjoyed the remake, this one is also well worth watching. It's less complex, but it's quite good in its own right. Sweet gives the heroine a different nature than does Dorothy Bernard in the remake, and both of them are quite good in the role, with no need at all to choose one or the other as the 'best' of the two performances.

"With right of way over all trains"

[ackstasis · 7/10 · 16 September 2008]

Advertising for D.W. Griffith's 'The Lonedale Operator (1911)' proudly exclaimed the words "This is without doubt the most thrilling picture ever produced!" Well, it probably wasn't, but the marketing firms have to earn their commissions somehow. Though it is often celebrated for its pioneering use of editing and suspense, this 17-minute Biograph is not all that different in style from Edwin S. Porter's 'The Great Train Robbery (1903),' which I can certainly remember being even more exciting than this, though perhaps hindsight has clouded my memory. By 1911, Griffith had been experimenting with cross-cutting for several years – notably, in 'A Corner in Wheat (1909)' for thematic effect, and in 'The Sealed Room (1909)' for some excellent suspense. Filmed over four days in late January and early February, 1911, 'The Lonedale Operator' doesn't quite live up to its reputation as "the most thrilling picture ever produced," but it does have its charms. Furthermore, by cutting rhythmically between the trapped heroine, her two assailants and her eventual rescuers, Griffith manages to keep the tempo tense.

Fifteen-year-old Blanche Sweet plays the daughter of a train station operator, who takes her father's place when he falls ill. Unlike many of Griffith's other leading women, such as Mary Pickford and Lilian Gish, who were generally innocent and helpless souls, Sweet plays her character with strength and conviction. Even when accosted by two men who could easily overpower her, she uses her resourcefulness to outwit the two rather dim-witted thugs, holding them off for just long enough to accommodate the arrival of her rescuer and male suitor (Francis J. Grandon). Of course, no woman could be expected to endure such an ordeal without responding in the appropriate fashion, and, as all heroines do under stress, Sweet takes the opportunity to pass out for a period of time. A little tame by today's standards, and perhaps too brief to produce the maximum level of excitement, this is nonetheless an interesting and likable short film. As for Griffith, he apparently liked 'The Lonedale Operator' so much that he promptly remade it the following year, as 'The Girl and Her Trust (1912).'

Intense, historical, but otherwise uninteresting.

[Polaris_DiB · 7/10 · 7 September 2005]

A movie like this could only get away with a 7-out-of-10 rating today, considering its popularity at the time and its historical significance as a D.W.Griffith experience.

This short details a young girl who is operating a train stop when some bandits, or miscreants, or something, begin to threaten her. As she tries to hold them at bay, a train operator comes to the rescue.

Even by today's standards, the cutting of the film makes it relatively intense. Griffith claimed he invented a lot of techniques that he didn't, but perhaps the one thing it cannot be argued he invented is a director's style (auteurship). Early films didn't even have credits attached, and yet audiences recognized a Griffith film anyways.

The same holds today. This is a Griffith film, by and large. Whether it's worth the search to find and watch depends on your interest of the era, Griffith, or maybe silent films as a whole. Otherwise this film is nothing more than a research tool for film classes and cinephiles.

--PolarisDiB

A Cliffhanger

[Hitchcoc · 6/10 · 27 February 2017]

This D. W. Griffith short involves a young woman whose father is the telegraph operator in a relatively remote place. Her boyfriend is a railroad engineer. When she takes over the key (the telegraph key), she becomes responsible for a large payroll shipment. Unfortunately, a couple of no-goods want the money and they are going to break into the telegraph shack and steal it from her. The plots revolves around how long she can forestall these men until her engineer boyfriend can bring the train back and rescue her. There is an interesting twist that is pretty satisfying.

Sweet is good, the rest is OK

[Quinoa1984 · 6/10 · 25 November 2016]

The Lonedale Operator, which is about a young daughter of a rail operator (not on the train, at the nearby station) and how she has to fill in for her sick father (this after an opening where she, uh, flirts with some guy or something, I'm not sure), a couple of thieves plot to steal from the train and so she has to defend herself, albeit fainting for part of the time while the train has to deal with no operator.

It gets good in the second half, when the story actually fully kicks in and Blanche Sweet's fill-in train operator has to fend off a couple of thieves trying to break in (once again with Griffith, like the Lonely Villa and some other shorts he did with this theme of invasion). Sweet's wonderful, but the pacing felt off for me. Not one of the best nor worst, The Lonedale Operator, which features some fine color-tinting for some shots, is OKAY.

The Way It Was Seen Over a Hundred Years Ago...

[kidboots · 8/10 · 13 November 2014]

....so crisp and clear and beautifully presented. And Blanche Sweet - what an amazingly naturalistic actress. Interesting that Linda Arvidson (D.W. Griffith's wife at the time) said that he hardly expected her to set the acting world on fire yet by the time Lillian Gish came to Biograph, Blance Sweet was the actress she aspired to be like.

The story is simple. Sweet plays the daughter of the Lonedale telegraph operator who is given the job for a day while her father goes home with an illness. The train that delivers the payroll also drops off (unseen) a couple of disreputable tramps (one is Del Henderson, so memorable as the father in both "Show People" and "The Patsy") who lurk around the station building until they finally break into the office with the help of a bench seat!!! Fortunately Blanche has already been able to rouse a sleepy railway worker by means of a telegraph machine and with the aid of a spanner she holds like a gun, manages to have the hoboes cowering until help arrives. Sweet was not like a lot of the Griffith heroines - she did not simper or quake in fear of a fate worse than death. She was more than capable of holding her own and making things happen - she was a very plucky girl in this film who while initially harassed, soon had the situation in hand.

The seamless cross cutting between the robbers, the unsuspecting girl and the day to day life of the railway workers make it seem as though Griffith had already perfected the last minute rescue back in 1911. As well, the beautiful tinting not only blue for night but crimson indicating the engine cabin make this small film a visual feast.

Highly Recommended.

Suspense in a Train Station

[view_and_review · 6/10 · 10 September 2022]

If you were curious about train stations circa 1911, then "The Lonedale Operator" gives us a glimpse. "The Lonedale Operator" had love, technology, crime, and heroism.

The two lovebirds and stars were the Operator's Daughter (Blanche Sweet) and the Engineer (Francis J. Grandon). The Operator's Daughter had to take over operating duties for her sick father. Operating a train station, as was shown in this movie, was sending and receiving telegraphs and exchanging incoming and outgoing packages with the train.

The Operator's Daughter found herself in trouble when two thieves had her trapped and were attempting to break in and steal payroll money from the mining company. It was suspense and drama in the Lonedale train station.

Free on YouTube.

A case of déjà vu!

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 17 November 2006]

Wow was I confused when I saw this movie from 1911. I didn't recall having seen THE LONEDALE OPERATOR when I started the film, but soon after it started it was like a case of déjà vu. I KNEW I had seen the film before and even reviewed it on IMDb but I didn't remember it as being called 'THE LONEDALE OPERATOR'. After a little checking, I found that the film I had seen was THE GIRL AND HER TRUST (1912) and the films were virtually identical. And, oddly enough, both are 17 minutes long (though the speed at which the films are cranked may make this slightly longer or shorter). This really isn't too surprising, though, as when the film was made back in 1911, outright plagiarism was common and pretty much condoned and many times the same production company would remake their films only a year or so later! Often, the same film would be made by two or three or even more production companies--sometimes even with the same movie title! So it's very easy to understand the confusion.

Now as for the film itself, it's a very good early full-length movie. Believe it or not, 17 minutes make this a very long film for 1911--as most films were less than five minutes long!! Because of its "great length", the film has a good plot and is quite entertaining. Compared to other films of the age, it is a standout picture in practically every way.

Fine early Griffith

[d_m_arnold · 8 October 2001]

This film, nicely preserved with tints, is part of the "Treasures" 4-disc DVD set from the American Film Archives. It captures DW Griffith in the middle of his stint at American Biograph, and it demonstrates his developing skill with montage. I'm fond of Lonedale because it captures day-to-day life in a bygone era (for example, the secretary operating an early typewriter and the operation of steam locomotives).

The performances are by necessity done in broad strokes. Blanche Sweet, then a very mature-looking 15-year-old plays the story's heroine who bluffs her way out of a sticky situation.

This film is one of the highlights of the Treasures DVD set.

Rapid Editing Amps Up The Suspense in Lonedale

[springfieldrental · 8/10 · 13 March 2021]

Cinema hadn't quite seen the rapidity of edits in a movie as contained in Biograph Studio's March 1911 "The Lonedale Operator." Cross-cutting between two separate scenes, director D.W. Griffith used over 100 edits, an unusual amount of cuts during that time.

"The Lonedale Operator" begins lazily with long sequences, showing the love interest of Blanche Sweet and her train engineer boyfriend. She eventually fills in for her ailing father, the train station's telegraph operator. During late afternoon, a train arrives with a pouch full of money for the local mine's payroll. There's no secure safe to place the money in, but not to worry since the train station is relatively isolated with no one around, except for two drifters who have followed the payroll as it leaves the train into the hands of the Lonedale Operator.

As the film proceeds, Griffith quickens the pace of his edits as he juxtapositions between two separate plots: the robbery and the rescue, where the train with her engineer boyfriend is miles away. The video link below provides an explanation on what cross-cutting, or parallel editing, is all about as Griffith employs the technique to amp up the suspense.

"The Lonedale Operator" is also notable for a rare closeup of a prop, pivotal to the story. It wasn't the first cinematic closeup, as several articles allude to, but it was one of the first that provided a bit of comedy relief after such a harrowing story had unfolded.

Lastly, this was one of the first films Blanche Sweet appeared in. She was a very successful silent movie actress throughout the 1910's and 1920's. But Ms. Sweet could not make the transition into sound films, playing in only three before she retired from Hollywood.

The Lonedale Operator (1911) The importance of Griffith

[claszdsburrogato · 9/10 · 3 January 2024]

D. W. Griffith was an extremely controversial figure and as a person he was despicable. However, as a filmmaker, he was one of the most important to classical cinema and what came after. In The Lonedale Operator, it is possible to notice that the techniques he used are still used today in cinema and influenced other directors, such as Sergei Eisenstein. The editing is very well used and helps build tension and suspense. The scene where the character is on the train to save his wife is brilliant. The montage shows the train arriving and, at the same time, the woman trying to protect herself, generating very effective tension. Even though the director is problematic, this film is a reflection of his genius and importance for the techniques used in cinema.

Productive topic

[suchenwi · 8/10 · 18 January 2014]

The topic of the girl telegrapher in the small station, keeping a treasure, being assaulted by two tramps, was soon very productive:

• A year later (1912), Griffith remade this into "The Girl and her Trust", adding a handcar escape and a locomotive chase;

• in 1915, the episode "Escape on the Fast Freight" of the legendary "Hazards of Helen" series started from the same place, and added quite some on-train action (maybe even the concept of "Hazards of Helen" started from Lonedale... the heroine is often a telegrapher, and goes through diverse adventures on the railroad); -... - in 2005, students at Offenburg (Germany) University of Applies Sciences made another remake, using green-screen and computer-animated backgrounds.

Pretty good, but in terms of techniques "The Girl and Her Trust" is more advanced

[Tornado_Sam · 8 July 2017]

Blanche Sweet stars in this film from 1911 by D. W. Griffith made for Biograph. Considering it was made in 1911, and Griffith's techniques weren't quite as advanced, it is very good. However, only a year later, Griffith remade his movie in a 15 minute short for Biograph, and the remake, I have to say, is more refined in techniques. There is essentially more cutting and the pacing is a lot faster (the beginning to this one starts slow). Griffith was probably looking at this film a year later and thinking, "I could've done better. Say, how about doing a remake of this one? And how about a chase towards the end by locomotive?" Thus "The Girl and Her Trust", the aforementioned remake, was filmed.

Now to the comparison. What makes this film not as advanced? Well, no chasing the tramps when they escape with the money. In fact, in here they don't even escape with the money at all. The shots of the interior of the locomotive look cool, but no tracking shot of the outside of the locomotive. That's another memorable thing in the remake. Plenty of cross-cutting, but the tramps peeking through the window bit is not drawn out as long and there isn't as much of that. Griffith was still learning when he made it, but it is still pretty good, and is certainly worthwhile for any Griffith fan. Even though the director became famous for "Birth of a Nation" and "Intolerance", short features like this show how advanced Griffith was with film editing.