The Power of Love (film)

The Power of Love is an American silent drama film and the first 3D feature film worldwide.[2] The premiere was on September 27, 1922, at the Ambassador Hotel Theater in Los Angeles.[3]

The Power of Love
Still from film published in Exhibitor's Herald
Directed byNat G. Deverich
Harry K. Fairall
Produced byHarry K. Fairall[1]
StarringElliot Sparling
Barbara Bedford, Noah Beery
Production
company
Haworth Film Company
Distributed byPerfect Pictures
Release date
  • September 27, 1922 (1922-09-27)
Running time
5 reels
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)
Harry K. Fairall
3D camera

The 3D version of the film is presumed lost.[4] The film was later shown in 2D as Forbidden Lover.[5][6] This 2-D version is also believed lost.[7]

Plot

Don Almeda promises his daughter Maria to Don Alvarez because of his financial trouble. Maria does not love Don Alvarez and falls in love with Terry O'Neal. He is a stranger who has been wounded by robbers associated with Alvarez and later he takes Alvarez's place at a masquerade ball. Alvarez robs an old padre of some pearls and stabs him with O'Neal's knife and accuses O'Neal of the murder. Alvarez tries to shoot him, but wounds Maria instead, because she has thrown herself in front of him. Maria recovers and after proving that Alvarez is a thief and a killer, marries O'Neal.[4]

Cast

Background

The film utilized the red-and-green anaglyph system for the 3D experience and also gave the audience the option of viewing one of two different endings to the film (in 2D) by looking through only the red or green lens of the spectacles,[8] depending on whether the viewer wanted to see a happy or tragic ending.[9][10][11] The Power of Love is the only film released in the two-camera, two-projector Fairall-Elder stereoscopic format developed by Harry K. Fairall and Robert F. Elder.[12]

Reception

The film was not a success in 3D and was only screened one time again in this version for exhibitors and press in New York City.[3] The film received a decent review in Moving Picture World.[5] Despite other rave reviews,[13] it was not booked again by other exhibitors in this format.[3]

In July 1923, the film was acquired by the new Selznick Distributing Corporation and widely distributed in 2D as Forbidden Lover in 1923–24.[5]

References
  1. Harry Kenneth Fairall; findagrave.com Retrieved September 29, 2016
  2. "A Tour Through the History of 3-D Movies". reelz.com. June 6, 2012. Archived from the original on July 20, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  3. "First 3D Movie: Find Out What Was The First 3D Movie". June 7, 2012. Archived from the original on June 2, 2011.
  4. "Silent Era : PSFL : The Power of Love (1922)". June 6, 2012.
  5. "Looking Up: Cirque de 3D". June 7, 2012.
  6. "Silent Era : PSFL : Forbidden Lover (1923)". June 7, 2012.
  7. "Forbidden Lover". Library of Congress. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  8. "* Anaglyph Movies - indepthphotos". June 6, 2012.
  9. "Blink-O-Scope". June 6, 2012.
  10. http://www.3dgear.com/scsc/Blink-O-Scopes.htm
  11. https://thedissolve.com/features/2014-in-review/866-the-shot-of-the-year/
  12. "The Power of Love at imdb". IMDb.
  13. "The History Of 3D Films And Glasses". June 7, 2012.
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