In a coastal Italian village, perky Mary Pickford (as Angela Carlotti) and brothers Edward Phillips (as Mario) and Jean De Briac (as Antonio) lead a carefree peasant life. They play harmless tricks on the town priest and watch as their farm animals get drunk. But, "The Great War" (World War I) soon brings waves of misery to Ms. Pickford's family and friends. Her brothers go off to war, along with sensitive boyfriend Raymond Bloomer (as Giovanni). Pickford keeps the home fires burning by housing a soldier who washes up on her shore - but, self-described AWOL American Fred Thomson (as Joseph) harbors a dark secret
Later on, war-weary villager Evelyn Dumo (as Maria) steals Pickford's baby, after losing her own. "The Love Light" refers to the job Pickford takes helping in the local lighthouse (and also, her home). This is one of a few films where Frances Marion, one of Hollywood's greatest early film writers, receives a director's credit. Her collaboration with Pickford and director of photography Charles Rosher doesn't meet expectations, but they are obviously skilled. The film could be described as overblown flourishes of symbolic prose come to naught. Most of the male cast are seen at the beginning of successful acting careers.
"The Love Light" may be most noteworthy for introducing Marion's hunky husband to moviegoers, herein, as Pickford's secondary romantic interest. By the end of the decade, Mr. Thomson had became a very popular star, joining Pickford and husband Douglas Fairbanks for three years in Quigley's annual top ten "Box Office Stars" list - Thomson was #6 in 1925, #3 in 1926, and #4 in 1927 - then, suddenly in 1928, he died. Despite dying at this level of popularity, in a series of well-produced westerns often ghost-written by wife Marion, Thomson is largely forgotten; and, few prints of his once numerous film prints survived the ages.
****** The Love Light (1/9/21) Frances Marion ~ Mary Pickford, Raymond Bloomer, Fred Thomson, Eddie Phillips
