The Violin Maker of Cremona
Synopsis
A contest is being held in Cremona for the best violin, with Giannina's hand in marriage as the prize. Filippo is secretly in love with her, but is also ashamed of being a cripple, so he switches his superior violin with that of another apprentice, Sandro, whom Giannina loves.
Main Cast
Herbert Prior
Taddeo Ferrari
Mary Pickford
Giannina, Taddeo's Daughter
Owen Moore
Sandro
David Miles
Filippo, the Cripple
Harry Solter
The Judge
Marion Leonard
The Judge's Companion
Charles Avery
Worker / In Crowd
Clara T. Bracy
Arthur V. Johnson
In Crowd
Violet Mersereau
In Crowd
Trailer
User Reviews
CinemaSerf
Mary Pickford is the young "Giannina" who has a habit of lobbing flowers at her admirers. In this short film, two such lovestruck violin makers compete to win a gold chain - and her hand in marriage. What ensues is quite a fun exchange as the men try to trick each other for their prize, but the telling of the story is all over the shop. It is almost impossible to discern quite what is going on - indeed, D.W. Griffith appears to have little idea how to construct this in any fashion that holds our attention in any meaningful way: it's is like an over-long pantomime scene, comedic but shambolic - and not in a good way. Made in 1909 so one shouldn't expect the earth, but this is just a mess
