Advertisement

PdC-born actress starred in 1920’s ‘The Last of the Mohicans’

Error message

  • Warning: array_merge(): Expected parameter 1 to be an array, bool given in _simpleads_render_ajax_template() (line 133 of /home/pdccourier/www/www/sites/all/modules/simpleads/includes/simpleads.helper.inc).
  • Notice: Trying to get property 'settings' of non-object in _simpleads_adgroup_settings() (line 343 of /home/pdccourier/www/www/sites/all/modules/simpleads/includes/simpleads.helper.inc).
  • Warning: array_merge(): Expected parameter 1 to be an array, bool given in _simpleads_render_ajax_template() (line 157 of /home/pdccourier/www/www/sites/all/modules/simpleads/includes/simpleads.helper.inc).
  • Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in include() (line 24 of /home/pdccourier/www/www/sites/all/modules/simpleads/templates/simpleads_ajax_call.tpl.php).

Barbara Bedford, born Violet May Rose in 1903 in Prairie du Chien, starred in the 1920 silent film “The Last of the Mohicans” adaptation. The film will be shown for free at the Prairie Cinema on Saturday, March 19, at 10 a.m. A historical introduction about Bedford’s life will precede the 80-minute movie.

For the first time in nearly 100 years, the 1920 silent film adaptation of “The Last of the Mohicans” will be shown in Prairie du Chien, the birthplace of the motion picture’s star, Barbara Bedford. Born Violet May Rose in 1903, Bedford was featured in dozens of films from 1920 to 1945, none bigger than the production based on the classic James Fenimore Cooper adventure novel. While Bedford has been mostly forgotten today, the Prairie du Chien Historical Society hopes to change that with this one-time-only showing of one of her greatest roles.

On Saturday, March 19, at 10 a.m., Prairie Cinema will host the special presentation. Thanks to the generosity of owners Lee and Diane Akin, admission to the film will be free of charge (although donations will be accepted) and refreshments will be available for purchase at the snack bar. Anyone who wants to be a special part of this singular event might consider attending in 1920s costume.

After the historical society presents a brief introduction featuring Bedford’s life story, the film will be screened, playing for about 80 minutes. The story, about Native Americans and English soldiers’ families traveling to a frontier fort in 1756 during the French and Indian War, features Bedford as Cora Munro Wallace Beery as the fiendish Magua, and Lillian Hall as Cora’s young sister, Alice Munro. Produced and directed by Maurice Tourneur, the movie was beautifully filmed in picturesque locations, adding photographic artistry to the powerful story. It should also be noted that, while technically a “silent” film, it is accompanied by an orchestrated score. It may also surprise some viewers that the film is not “black and white.” Instead, every scene is tined with bright colors to match the mood. Although created 96 years ago, some scenes still have the power to thrill, or even shock.

Whether you want to connect with the Prairie du Chien community’s hidden history, or just want to see an exciting film, you are invited to attend “The Last of the Mohicans” showing on March 19. Additional notes and information can be found on the Fort Crawford Museum’s Facebook page, or by emailing ftcrawmu@mhtc.net.

Rate this article: 
No votes yet