THE NARROW ROAD (1912) - ♦♦♦

Directed by - D.W. Griffith

Written by - George Hennessy

Starring - Elmer Booth, Mary Pickford, Charles Hill Mailes

"Greeted by his faithful wife with open loving arms, a man just out of prison seems determined to walk the straight and narrow. But a man who spent time in jail with him attempts to lure him into dangerous counterfeiting activities. 

THE NARROW ROAD is defined by a very simple storyline, not in fact the most exciting in these prolific times by GRIFFITH, that deals with one of the filmmaker's pet concernes - common people struggling with their conscience and dealing with a crime. 

While the simple narrative is mostly unimpressive, one can still greatly admire a mastered use of narrative cross-editing that boosts the short with an emotive energy. This is particularly true of the juxtaposition of the husband's temptation and the concern of the wife at home, worried she might lose her beloved again at the hands of the law. 

THE NARROW ROAD features the legendary MARY PICKFORD as the wife, but it is ELMER BOOTH in the role of the husband who steals the show and seems to be a great precursor in both presence and mannerism to the role of the criminal in later films to come."

Drama, USA