The Violin Maker of Cremona

An early costume piece from Griffith, based on an 1876 play by François Coppée that seems to have been popular to adapt for different uses at the time (operetta versions, etc.). This misses out on the comic elements of the original and makes the ending a little more dramatic, though it's probably at least an adaptation or two removed from the original already.

One of the earliest films of Mary Pickford. And it's got D.W. Griffith directing this partly tragic Biograph love story of a crippled violin maker who sacrifices his creation so that Pickford and his pal can be happy. One of the men is Mary's future husband Owen Moore. The other a guy called Herbert Prior, who regardless of appearing in over 300 films between 1907-1934 have totally escaped my attention. The film is nothing remarkable, but still a historic curiosity considering who is involved.