Question 1

What dangerous filming conditions did the crew face during the ice floe scenes?

Accepted Answer

A fire had to be built under the camera to keep it warm enough to run, and director D.W. Griffith suffered frostbite on one side of his face that bothered him for life.

Question 2

How were the dramatic waterfall ice floes in the climax actually created?

Accepted Answer

The ice floes drifting over the waterfall were wood constructions, filmed out of season with a waterfall only a few feet high.

Question 3

Where were the ice floe scenes filmed and how were they edited?

Accepted Answer

The basic ice floe scenes were filmed in White River Junction, Vermont during late winter, with extensive inter-cutting in editing.

Question 4

How were cast credits presented to audiences of this silent film?

Accepted Answer

No cast credits appear on the print; filmgoers received a printed program listing key players in order of story importance.

Question 5

What central conflict drives the story of 'Way Down East'?

Accepted Answer

A naive country girl is tricked into a sham marriage by a wealthy womanizer and must rebuild her life despite bearing a child out of wedlock.

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Way Down East

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