His Trust Fulfilled

Five stars. I'm being generous. But that's all I can muster for a film in which the only thing I can find that's praise-worthy is the acting of a white guy in black-face. Because, other than Wilfred Lucas's performance, this is just ghastly. The rest of the "acting" is rubbish, even for silent-era acting. The story is dreadful, from any sort of ethical standpoint. It doesn't even have the cool pyrotechnics that His Trust did. It's just a tale of a man who sacrifices everything he has for the daughter of his former owners. Who doesn't understand this, and who views him as something like a family pet.

Something I've noticed, while watching this collection of Griffith's Civil War shorts, is that they were made before he had figured out that it's better not to break the line. These films are full of scenes in which someone approaches the door of a house, coming from (say) the left, and is then seen entering the house on the right. I've seen enough of Griffith's work that I can see the patterns of the evolution of film-making craft. This is one it looks like he didn't figure out until after 1911. But, unless you are really interested in watching that sort of technical evolution take place, you can take a pass on this one. 7 February 2025.

This sequel to D.W. Griffith's "His Trust" (1911) picks up right where the previous film left off - loyal slave Wilfred Lucas (as George) continues to be the faithful and devoted servant to his Master's family. Despite the Emancipation Proclamation, he remains slavishly devoted. He supports the ailing Claire McDowell (Mrs. Foster), and "The Little Orphan" as she grows from Gladys Egan into Dorothy West. When money runs out, he fights to avoid the temptation to steal. Ms. West is his ward until she weds a wealthy suitor. The newlyweds hardly seem grateful, as they run off to leave old slave George hobbling back to his shack, in rags! - but, he is content, with "His Trust Fulfilled".

* His Trust Fulfilled (1/19/11) D.W. Griffith ~ Wilfred Lucas, Dorothy West, Claire McDowell

This sequel to "His Trust" has some good moments, but it could have been better. It probably works better as a statement of some of D.W. Griffith's personal perspectives than it does as a movie. The story is worthwhile in itself, though - it just would have benefited from more subtlety and from less simplistic characters.

In "His Trust Fulfilled", the faithful George does everything possible to fulfill his promise to his former 'owner', even when it leads him into great personal difficulties. This idea seems to have been a favorite with Griffith, and indeed one of his best short features, "The Girl And Her Trust", featured a very similar idea, but in a different and more contemporary setting.

The story really has some potential, and there are some moments when it seems about to become quite moving. But, unfortunately, the story too often goes for quick, simple resolutions of problems, and on more than one occasion it stretches the portrayal of George past the point of credibility.

Sometimes when film-makers feel too passionately about their material, they push too hard and make it less believable rather than more so, and that could be the case here. It's still probably worth seeing if you are interested in silent dramas and/or cinema history, but a slightly different approach could have made it a much better movie.

Sequels are important in today's movie industry: Star Wars, Lord of the Rings to name just a few. Many, if not most sequels are money monster machines in today's theaters. Cinema's first sequel was released in January 1911 in Biograph Studio's "His Trust Fulfilled." There is some debate whether this short 15-minute film can qualify as a true sequel since it's not a feature movie. But those who defend their application to the term for this particular movie have a strong position.

"His Trust Fulfilled" is unlike a serial or a movie series in that it continues the storyline introduced in "His Trust" by referring to events in the first movie. Although not a "feature" film sequel, this second movie does conclude the plot.

D. W. Griffith, always looking to move forward from the industry's short one-reelers, directed a two-reeler called "His Trust." Biograph executives didn't think audiences in the nickelodeon theaters had the attention span to sit through 30 minutes of a movie. Plus they felt they could double the profits by splitting Griffith's film by creating two movies and charge separate admissions to see the entire plot unfold.

Griffith would have to wait a full four years before he got his wish to produce a full-length two-hour movie. In "His Trust," he introduces a slave who, during the Civil War, honors the wish of the plantation owner who goes off to war that he promises to protect the owner's family in case he dies--which he does. Griffith, in metaphoric terms, shows how the whites in the post war South badly treated the freed slaves. George, the ex-slave, sacrifices everything to provide for the family while the whites portrayed here are an apathetic group who act callous towards the family whose patriarch died for "The Lost Cause."

His Trust Fulfilled (1911)

**** (out of 4)

Sequel to His Trust finds the servant George (Wlfred Lucas) still taking care of the dead soldier's family but after the mother's death he finds it even harder to support the daughter and send her to college. Once again people could debate the use of blackface but with that aside this is another example of showing black people in a positive light, which was something that wouldn't become the norm for at least fifty-years. As with the first film, Griffith's direction is very tender in terms of telling the story because it's clear he had admiration for the servant character. Griffith allows the character to fully grow and not once is he seen in a negative way. Loyalty is something Griffith often did films about and this here is one of the best. Both movies were probably split in two so that theater owners could charge double admission but watching them together is the best way to go. Once again Lucas delivers a fine performance as George with Dorothy West, Jack Pickford and Mack Sennett doing fine supporting work.