BACK TO GOD’S COUNTRY (1919) was one of the major successes of Canadian film pioneer Nell Shipman. It has the distinction of being the oldest surviving Canadian feature film and was also the subject of a great deal of controversy because of Shipman’s nude outdoor bathing scene at the beginning. Based on a then well known Canadian story about a heroic dog (think THE CALL OF THE WILD), the movie was shot under extremely harrowing conditions. Much of the action takes place on ice flows and was shot at temperatures as low as 60 degrees below zero. One of the principal actors developed pneumonia and died during the shooting. Shipman was a virtual one woman show on this project. In addition to starring, she also wrote, co-produced, and co-directed without credit. The film was officially credited to a director named David Hartford.
The second feature SOMETHING NEW (1920) features a novel twist on the old Western theme of kidnapping and rescuing the damsel in distress. The hero, instead of riding a horse, drives a car. The film was primarily financed by the Maxwell Car Company (Jack Benny’s car) and serves as a large scale ad for their product. The car goes over rugged terrain and along cliffs that no vehicle at the time would dream of doing. The result is a delightful spoof of traditional Westerns that manages to be exciting at the same time. This time Nell gets a directing credit. Originally available on VHS as part of Milestone Film’s EQUAL TIME: THE WOMEN OF CINEMA – THE FILMMAKERS series.
The Capsule Critic 