Trilby (1915)

In 1911, the French film company Éclair became the second studio to locate in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Charles Jourjon, its thirty-five-year-old president, commissioned the construction of a brand-new studio with glass ceilings, a laboratory capable of processing 40,000 feet of film per day, dressing rooms and storage areas. When fire destroyed much of the studio on 17th March 1914. Many of its staff, including Jourjon, joined the newly formed World Film Company. Among them was thirty-eight-year-old director Maurice Tourneur, a former artist who had studied under Rodin and Puvis de Chavannes. After directing on the stage with André Antoine, he joined Éclair’s Paris operation in 1912 before moving to the States in May 1914 as producer-director of the Fort Lee facility. He never got to direct in America for Éclair, however; the outbreak of the Great War forced them to transfer ownership of the studio to World Pictures. His first American film was Mother, for William A. Brady.

One of the World Film Company’s biggest stars was Clara Kimball Young, the actress lured to the studio from Vitagraph by Lewis Selznick. To produce her films, Selznick created the Equitable Motion Pictures Corporation, under which Trilby was released. George Du Maurier’s famous work began life as a serial in Harper’s Monthly in January 1894. It was an instant success, spawning widespread merchandising of ‘Trilby’ products and even inspiring ‘Trilby’ themed parties. The author based many of its characters on his own acquaintances, resulting in a lawsuit issued by the artist James McNeill Whistler, who recognised himself in the serial. Harper’s was forced to issue an apology, and Du Maurier had to alter the character when publishing as a book.

Trilby was Equitable’s first release and cemented Kimball Young’s status as one of the picture business’s brightest stars. Recalling the making of the film, the actress wrote, “I threw myself heart and soul into the character. I felt Trilby’s every emotion and approached the final climax forgetful of all else save the character herself.”

While Kimball Young threw herself into her character, her husband James Young grew jealous of Tourneur. Young usually directed his wife, but was directing another film. According to art director Ben Carré, Tourneur “didn’t like Jimmy watching what he was doing, or what his wife was doing.” For his part, Young didn’t like another man directing her in a nude scene. As a compromise, they hung a muslin curtain between the two shooting units.

Tourneur awarded the key role of Svengali to Wilton Lackaye. He had played the part in Paul M. Potter’s 1895 stage production of Du Maurier’s novel and for years after in touring companies and revivals. That Lackaye had portrayed Svengali thousands of times on stage made him almost as big a draw for audiences as Kimball Young in the title role.

His character is almost comically Fagin-esque as the story begins. He is a hanger-on who constantly visits the garret shared by three artists, Little Billie (Chester Barnett), The Laird and Toffee to borrow money and criticise their work. Trilby (Kimball Young), a young model posing in a neighbouring garret, hears Svengali’s music coming from the trio’s room and invites herself in. The men all find her enchanting, but agree when she sings ‘Ben Bolt’ that she is completely tone deaf. While Billie and Trilby share an attraction, Svengali’s attraction to the girl is not reciprocated. However, when he cures her of neuralgia by placing her into a hypnotic trance, she falls under his spell. Despite agreeing to marry Billie, she leaves with Svengali while under his command on the night of her and Billie’s engagement party.