Lillian Gish was one of film's leading actresses from the beginnings of silent features. Her first film was in 1909, when she was 16. Her most famous film was Birth of a Nation (1915). Her early career was under legendary director D.W. Griffith. She left his studio for fledgling MGM in 1925, signing a contract for five films that gave her script, director and cast approval. Her presence gave MGM needed class, although by the late silent era, Greta Garbo and Clara Bow were bigger box office draws.
The Wind was the final silent film for Gish, and the last film under her MGM contract. The script was adapted by the respected Frances Marion from the novel by Dorothy Scarborough. Gish chose two Swedes as her director and leading man, Victor Sjostrom and Lars Hanson. Gish had worked with both of them before, on The Scarlet Letter (1926).
The Wind is something of a Western. It apparently takes place in the late 19th century. Letty (Gish) has for some reason traveled from Virginia to live with her male cousin Beverly (Edward Earle). Beverly lives in a godforsaken desert/prairie where the wind constantly howls, shifting mounds of sand along in its path. Beverly's butch wife Cora (Dorothy Cumming) is very jealous of the lovely Letty, who soon wins the admiration of Cora's children as well as Beverly himself.
Meanwhile, Letty is being heavily courted. Two comic relief cowboys, Lige (Lars Hanson) and Sourdough (William Orlamond) vie for her hand, while amoral, corpulent salesman Roddy Wirt (Montagu Love) wants her as a mistress. Cora lays down the law to Letty: she must marry one of them, and move out. Reluctantly, Letty chooses Lige, but refuses his clumsy advances on their wedding night.
Roddy, being a salesman, doesn't take no for an answer. He pays an unwanted house call while Lige is away, setting up a dramatic finale.
The original ending has Letty driven mad by man's passion and the relentless, sandy wind. She runs wildly into a windstorm, never to be seen again. This ending did not settle well with top MGM executives, however. The cast was reassembled, and an upbeat ending was made with Letty affirming her love for Lige. The cast and crew were disgusted by the studio machinations, which were for naught. The Wind was a box office failure, partly because silent films had become obsolete with the advent of The Jazz Singer (1927).
It was a difficult production, filmed in a California desert under temperatures of up to 120 degrees. Gish burned her hand on a metal car door. The effect of the sand pounding wind was created with eight airplane propellers, forcing the crew to wear goggles and to cover their faces with handkerchiefs.
The Wind is considered a classic today. It is a good film, with memorable characters and never a slow moment. But it has its problems, the most obvious being why anyone would want to live in that hellish, inhospitable land. Gish's 'little girl lost' character is a familiar stereotype for her. Lige's transformation from comic relief cowboy to a romantic figure isn't fully credible. But it is admittedly entertaining to see Cora fume as Letty takes away all her attention. We know who wears the pants in that family. (67/100)
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