| The Italian Barber | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | D. W. Griffith |
| Starring | Joseph Graybill |
| Cinematography | G. W. Bitzer |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | General Film Company |
Release date |
|
Running time | 17 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (Englishintertitles) |
The Italian Barber is a 1911silent,romanticdramashort film directed byD. W. Griffith, starringJoseph Graybill andMary Pickford.[1] It was produced by theBiograph Company.[2]
Tony is attracted to Alice, who mans a sidewalknewsstand. He buys a flower and gives it to her before entering the nearby barber shop where he works. He cannot take his mind off the girl and neglects his client, who eventually loses his patience and leaves half shaved.
Tony escorts Alice home, where he meets her mother. While the latter is out of the room, he proposes to Alice, placing a ring on her finger, as well as a necklace around her neck.
Alice's sister Florence returns home from touring with hervaudeville song-and-dance partner Bobby Mack, and Alice introduces her to her fiancé. However, Tony finds Florence more attractive than Alice. He lets Florence know; after her initial hesitancy, they embrace. Alice unexpectedly comes home looking for something, and finds them in each other's arms. She gives Tony back his ring.
Tony takes Florence to the Barbers' Ball; he invites Alice to go with them, but she declines. After they leave, Alice places a pistol to her head, but fortunately Mack's surprise appearance makes her shot go astray, narrowly missing Mack too. Mack shows his romantic interest in Alice. He takes her to the ball, and both couples are pleased with the new arrangement.
The film was shot in November 1910 atFort Lee, New Jersey,[3][4][5] when many earlyfilm studios inAmerica's first motion picture industry were based there at the beginning of the 20th century. It reused the storefront employed inThe Musketeers of Pig Alley.[3]
Prints are held by theLibrary of Congress and theMuseum of Modern Art.[2]