"The Barrier" (1926)
Marceline Day and Henry Walthall
Directed by George W. Hill
Written by Harvey Gates
Based on The Barrier by Rex Beach
Starring Lionel Barrymore
Marceline Day
Norman Kerry
Henry B. Walthall
Cinematography Max Fabian, Ira H. Morgan
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date March 21, 1926 (United States)
Running time 70 mins.
Country United States
Language Silent, English intertitles
We have included this film in our program to illustrate the work and contributions of our star Marceline Day.
"The Barrier" is a powerful drama and romance about the Northern Frontier starring Marceline Day (together with three renowned male actors) in her first leading dramatic role, for which she earned glowing critic reviews. Silent Era lists this film as "survival status: unknown". It is not available for viewing, so we have to rely on newspaper articles from the 1920ies. If you have any information about a surviving copy of the film please let us know.
Here are just a few of the reviews for this film:
A rousing, red-blood melodrama of early Alaskan days. This is a vivid, rugged love story, outlined against spectacular backgrounds, dealing with a girl of half-Indian blood, brought up in ignorance of her parentage, the discovery of which nearly results in total separation between her and the Army officer to whom she is betrothed.
The film starts off with a terrible gale at sea, and plunges into one stormy physical action-episode after another, terminating with the hero and heroine's escape from a ship being crushed by giant icebergs. This last scene is remarkably well filmed and a real thrill-knockout. (Motion Picture News)
Seasickness played havoc with production schedules when Director George Hill's Company put out to sea on a sailing ship for the filming of scenes in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer screen adaptation of Rex Beach's novel "The Barrier," an adventurous story of the snow swept wastes of Alaska. Not one of the players escaped the pains of nausea, but many magnificent storm scenes were secured, and the picture has thus been given a remarkably realistic effect.
Norman Kerry, Lionel Barrymore, Henry B. Walthall, and Marceline Day, the four principal players, suffered considerably, but insisted on going through with their work in spite of distressing nausea and dizziness. (Border Watch)
In its adaptation to the screen of Rex Beach's famous novel, "The Barrier," Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer has made a noteworthy contribution to the great motion picture creation. The cast is headed by Lionel Barrymore, H.B. Walthall, Norman Kerry, and Marceline Day. Barrymore, as the brutish sea-captain gives a picturesque and forceful characterization, and Walthall Is ideally cast in a sympathetic role. Miss Day makes a charming Necia, and she is shown very attractively as an actress of real merit. The virile power of Rex Beach's novel is not lost In its translation to the screen, and the greater range of the camera has given the thrills, with which the story abounds, a definite touch of realism. (Sunshine Advocate)
A stirring virile story or the far North of Alaska, with an under-current of delicious humor as a fitting foil to its tense dramatic nature, comes to the screen in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picturization of Rex Beach's novel, "The Barrier". It was directed by George Hill, with a distinguished cast including Lionel Barrymore, Norman Kerry, H. Walthall and Marceline Day.
The theme of Rex Reach's novel is well known. A young army officer is transferred to an Arctic outpost and there falls in love with a beautiful girl, whom he supposes to be the daughter of the village factor. His discovery that she is a half caste Indian and the arrival of her father, a villainous seaman, after an absence of twenty years, leads the story to its terrific climax, when the girl's sweetheart fights a tremendous battle with the enraged skipper on his ship, while it is slowly crushed between towering mountains of ice. This scene is one of the most remarkable in screen history. Added to the enthralling nature of the story are spectacular photographic scenes and hair-raising incidents that are a tribute to this masterly production. "The Barrier" is an achievement of the screen. (Cairns Post)
"The Barrier" has a distinguished cast, including Lionel Barrymore, Norman Kerry, H. B. Walthall and Marceline Day, and the brilliant character studies of this quartette are drawn with artistic insight. (Kalgoorlie Miner)
Marceline Day, the heroine, who has just stepped out of comedies and westerns into a leading woman role, is a lovely and convincing Necia. Her performance augurs well for her future in the films. (Bakersfield Morning Echo)
As Necia Marceline Day is responsible for some brilliant acting, and gives a faultless characterization of a difficult role. (Press)
Marceline Day is not only exceedingly attractive as the girl, but gives an excellent portrayal of the emotional scenes. (Moving Picture World)
Marceline Day won generous recognition through her role in "The Barrier." (Sunday Times)
Marceline Day has scored a triumph as the heroine of "The Barrier." (Herald)
Marceline Day delivers a distinguished performance. (Recorder)
Marceline Day has just completed ''The Barrier" for Metro-Goldwin and the critics hailed her work as one of the outstanding feminine portrayals of the year. (Salt Lake Tribune)
The Barrier The-Barrier-1926.jpg "The film starts off with a terrible gale at sea..." - Motion Picture News about "The Barrier" (1926). http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/FilmStills/Marceline-Day/The-Barrier/The-Barrier-1926.jpg Marceline-Day-and-Henry-Walthall-in-The-Barrier.jpg Marceline Day and Henry Walthall in "The Barrier" (1926). Marceline-Day-in-The-Barrier-1926.jpg Marceline Day is lovely in "The Barrier" (1926). Marceline-Day-and-Norman-Kerry-and-Henry-Walthall-in-The-Barrier.jpg Norman Kerry, Marceline Day and Henry Walthall in "The Barrier" (1926). Marceline-Day-and-Norman-Kerry-in-The-Barrier-2.jpg Norman Kerry and Marceline Day camp in the wilderness in "The Barrier" (1926). Henry-Walthall-in-The-Barrier.jpg Henry Walthall in "The Barrier" (1926). Marceline-Day-and-Norman-Kerry-in-The-Barrier-3.jpg Marceline Day and Norman Kerry in a romantic scene from "The Barrier" (1926). Marceline-Day-and-Lionel-Barrymore-in-The-Barrier.jpg Lionel Barrymore and Marceline Day in "The Barrier" (1926). Marceline-Day-and-Norman-Kerry-in-The-Barrier.jpg Marceline Day and Norman Kerry in a nice portrait for "The Barrier" (1926). Marceline-Day-and-Lionel-Barrymore-and-Norman-Kerry-and-Henry-Walthall-in-The-Barrier-1.jpg Lionel Barrymore, Norman Kerry, Marceline Day and Henry Walthall in a tense scene from "The Barrier" (1926). Marceline-Day-and-Lionel-Barrymore-in-The-Barrier-2.jpg Lionel Barrymore and Marceline Day in a tense scene from "The Barrier" (1926). Marceline-Day-and-Lionel-Barrymore-and-Bert-Woodruff-and-Mario-Carillo-and-Henry-Walthall-in-The-Barrier.jpg Marceline Day, Lionel Barrymore, Bert Woodruff, Mario Carillo and Henry Walthall in "The Barrier" (1926). Norman-Kerry-and-Lionel-Barrymore-in-The-Barrier-1926.jpg Norman Kerry and Lionel Barrymore don't like each other in "The Barrier" (1926). Marceline-Day-and-Lionel-Barrymore-and-Norman-Kerry-and-Henry-Walthall-in-The-Barrier-2.jpg Lionel Barrymore, Norman Kerry, Marceline Day and Henry Walthall in another tense scene from "The Barrier" (1926). Marceline-Day-and-Henry-Walthall-in-The-Barrier-3.jpg Marceline Day and Henry Walthall in a tender moment from "The Barrier" (1926).
Click to enlarge 
Marceline Day