The Feast of Life (1916) Paragon Films. Distributor: World Film Corporation. Director: Albert Capellani. Scenario: Frances Marion. Camera: Lucien Andriot. Cast: Clara Kimball Young, Mrs. E.M. Kimball, E.M. Kimball, Paul Capellani, Doris Kenyon, Robert Frazer. 5 reels. A print of this film is held by the Národní Filmový Archiv (Czech Film Archive, 35 mm, 1274 meters, Czech titles).

This film screened at the Cineteca di Bologna in 2011, here are the program notes

Review from Variety, April 28, 1916

A very sanguinary picture is "The Feast of Life," a Paragon (World) release starring Clara Kimball Young. The scenario is by Frances Marion and was directed by Albert Capellani. It is an old-fashioned melodrama with a Cuban background. A Cuban girl (Miss Young), of good family, lives with her mother on a beautiful estate, but they are otherwise impoverished and the place is mortgaged to a wealthy native libertine. Her mother forces her to consent to an alliance with the man who is distasteful to her. She loves a poor fisherman. The fisherman's sister has been wronged by the rich man and commits suicide. The fisherman leads an insurrection against his sister's betrayer on the day of his wedding, and in the melee the new husband is blinded. He is seen crawling along all spattered with gore--a most gruesome spectacle. An operation restores his sight, but he is told any undue excitement may blind him permanently and even cause death. He continues to pretend he is blind, stabs the fisherman and enters his wife's room. They struggle, the husband becomes totally blind and finally falls dead. The fisherman recovers and it is presumed he lives happily on the big estate with his loved one, the mortgage having been cancelled. Well acted and directed and fine exterior locations, but the subject is cheap.

Review from the New York Dramatic Mirror, May 16, 1916 p. 32

A Five-Part Drama by Frances Marion, Featuring Clara Kimball Young, Produced by the paragon Films under the Direction of Albert Capellani.

The exceedingly beautiful and picturesque scenery of Cuba has raised "The Feast of Life" above its purely conventional story, while Clara Kimball Young contributes her beauty and personality to the completeness of the picture. The pretty huts along the edge of the lake gives a decidedly romantic tinge to the love story of Aurora Fernandez, who is forced to marry against her wishes, despite her love for a young fisherman, Pedro. There is more tragedy than romance women into the life of Aurora, whose husband becomes blind. Later, he discovers that his wife has been meeting her former lover, Pedro. However, successfully operated upon, he feigns blindness an discovers her clandestine meetings. He stabs Pedro and dies from the effect of the shock and in the end Aurora attains happiness with the man she really loves.

Director Capellani has played up his realism strongly. His eye for beauty has resulted in some remarkably artistic and picturesque scenes taken along the coast and the silhouette scenes of the lover's tryst are of exceptional natural beauty and distinctiveness. The photography on the whole is sharp, and the lighting effects are at all times good. The interior scenes have also been very well done.

Reviews from Moving Picture World

"The Feast of Life"
Clara Kimball Young Is Starred in Paragon Picture Made in Cuba Under Direction of Albert Capellani.
Reviewed by Lynde Denig.

Admirers of Clara Kimball Young, and they constitute nearly all followers of photoplays, will not be disappointed in this five-part drama, written by Frances Marion and produced in Cuba by Albert Capellani. Miss Young's rare beauty, her charm of personality an her emotional appeal are as potent as ever in her playing of Aurora Fernandez, a Cuban girl or aristocratic lineage, who, to save the family estate, is forced into a loveless marriage with a wealthy landowner. To suit the Cuban locale, the familiar story of the mortgage on the dear old farm and the sweet girl sacrificed to the village skinflint, becomes the story of a mother and daughter in danger of losing their luxuriant tropical acres unless a domineering unpleasant neighbor is taken into the family.

And the tragedy is all the keener for Aurora, in that she has fallen in love with a handsome young fisherman and feels that she is destined to die, spiritually that is, before she has really lived at all. The meeting of Aurora and Pedro in a church on Easter Sunday develops a sort of spiritual flirtation, for the fisherman sees in the beautiful girl standing before the alter a vision of the Madonna. It is love at first sight for both and a few days later, looking very inviting in a "Carmen" costume, the girl joins the merrymakers at an inn where her fisherman sweetheart discovers less Madonna-like traits in her personality.

The progress of the love affair between these two offers an opportunity for many pleasingly acted scenes utilizing the luxuriant backgrounds to be found near Havana and Santiago. Nor are the meetings discontinued after Aurora becomes the wife of Don Armada, and, as might be expected, a triangular affair of the kind leads to serious trouble, which is plausibly enough explained until the husband is depicted as losing and regaining his sight at the convenience of the author. This expedient is too old to carry conviction.

[Photo omitted--Young standing and a man on one side of a fence looking at a man on the other side.

Unquestionably the first asset of "The Feast of Life" is Miss Young, whose playing lacks nothing in expressiveness and feeling; the second is a reasonably diverting romantic story, and the third is the appeal to the eye through unusual and picturesque locations, which, however, were not always clearly photographed. Director Capellani evidently aimed to make the most of the Cuban scenery and fine old buildings, but the camera man did not always second the purpose. Doris Kenyon gives a capital performance as a girl whose love is scorned, whereas Robert Frazer and Paul Capellani are excellent in the leading male roles.

"The Feast of Life"
(Paragon--Five Parts--May 1)--The cast: Aurora Fernandez (Clara Kimball Young); Senora Fernandez (Mrs. E.M. Kimball); Father Venture (E.M. Kimball); Don Armada (Paul Capellani); Celida (Doris Kenyon): Pedro (Robert Frazer). Scenario by Frances Marion. Directed by Albert Capellani.

Aurora Fernandez, a poor Cuban girl, is persuaded against her will to become betrothed to Don Armada, a wealthy Cuban. She loves Pedro, a young fisherman, who lives with his uncle, Father Venture, and his sister Celida, who has been secretly stealing to Don Armada's villa, but is cast off by him on his engagement to Aurora.

Longing for a sight of Pedro, disguised as a dancing girl, Aurora goes to an inn where Pedro comes with other fishermen for a nights revelry. He does not recognize her as his "Lady of the Lily" as he calls her, but falls a victim to the charms of the dancing girl. Celida, dying of a broken heart, confesses to Pedro and Father Venture, and Pedro, to avenge Celida, summons all the fishermen in the village and leads them against Armada in whose villa the wedding feast is being held. The guests fly in terror and Armada is wounded. Aurora alone remains undaunted, and Pedro, finding her, recognizes not only his love of the tavern, but Aurora, and that she is the wife of Armada.

Notwithstanding her pleadings not to kill her husband, he is about to strike when he sees that Don Armada is blind. This awakens his pity and he leaves the house. Don Armada has an operation performed on his eyes which proves successful, but the physicians warn him that any shock may result in blindness for life. Aurora, in the meantime, has been carrying on clandestine meetings with Pedro and Armada, hoping to find out who Aurora's lover is, tells her that the operation has been a failure. He intercepts a note from Pedro and, locking Aurora in her room, stabs Pedro. He then returns to Aurora and she discovers he has tricked her. He tells her what he has done, but the shock kills him. Aurora escapes and finds Pedro still alive. She takes him home where she watches over him; and the crisis over, the lovers are reunited.

Last revised February 5, 2014