Film

The Spreading Dawn

1917 · 50m · Drama · Romance

America's greatest emotional actress -- A famous and nationally-popular author -- A powerful and widely advertised story --- The Goldwin standard of production --- What a combination!

Georgina asks permission from her old aunt, Patricia Mercer Vanderpyl, to marry Capt. Nugent before his departure for France. Patricia refuses and, in reply to Georgina's questioning, gives her a diary from her own girlhood to read. The diary unfolds the story of Patricia's marriage to soldier Anthony Vanderpyl. Returning on furlough after the outbreak of the Civil War, Anthony suddenly leaves Patricia to visit Mrs. Le Roy, an old flame, and is killed by her jealous husband. Positive that Anthony had been unfaithful to her, Patricia refuses to open the letter that her husband sent her on the day of his death. Georgina now opens it and discovers that Anthony had gone to Mrs. Le Roy to end the affair that his brother Bentley was having with her. With this revelation, Patricia sanctions her niece's marriage, then dies, joining Anthony in "the spreading dawn".

Jane Cowl

Patricia Mercer Vanderpyl

Orme Caldara

Anthony Vanderpyl

Harry Spingler

Bentley Vanderpyl

Florence Billings

Mrs. Cornelia Le Roy

Henry Stephenson

Mr. LeRoy

Alice Chapin

Mrs. Mercer

Helena Blair

Young Lizzie

Cecil Owen

Colonel Lee

Mabel Ballin

Georgina Vanderpyl

Edmund Lowe

Captain Lewis Nugent

Edith McAlpin

Old Lizzie

• Laurence TrimbleDirector
• Basil KingWriter
• Samuel GoldwynProducer

Release date

October 21, 1917

Status

Released

Original language

English

Runtime

50m

Genres

Drama, Romance