Directed by John H. Collins Running time 3000 ft (approx.) Director John H. Collins Distributed by Edison Studios | Written by Mary Rider Country United States Cinematography Ned Van Buren | |
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Starring Viola DanaCharles SuttonPat O'MalleyRobert Conness Release date October 15, 1915 (1915-10-15) Cast Viola Dana, Charles Sutton, Pat O'Malley | ||
Gladiola was a three-reel American silent drama produced by the Edison Company. The script, by Mary Rider, was written specifically as a vehicle for Viola Dana.
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Production
Gladiola was Edison Company production number 7985. The production was shot largely at the Edison Company's studio at Decatur Avenue and Oliver Place in the Bronx, with additional "exterior scenes taken in the gladiolus fields of Berlin, N.Y." Gladioli are used as a visual leitmotif throughout the film.
The production was able to locate a two-day-old baby, identified as "Master Warren Scott Moore," to play the title character's newborn baby in one scene. In publicity for the film, Edison hyped Moore's status as the youngest actor on the screen. Publicity noted that "Master Moore" shared his scene with Harry Linson, thought to be one of the oldest working actors on the screen at age 67.
Director John H. Collins and star Viola Dana were married the same year this film was produced.
Release
Gladiola was released in the United States on October 15, 1915. It debuted in Palmerston North in late March 1916, and in Wellington in early April. It was first shown in Oamaru on November 10, 1916.