LGM Film Club, Part 232: The Lad from Old Ireland

I always love the recovery of lost films and this story on early footage from Ireland really made me want to see the films. Hopefully I will have that opportunity. In any case, it is a good excuse to discuss the 1910 film The Lad from Old Ireland. This is a historically important film as it was the first time a Hollywood studio shot a film on an overseas location. Not surprisingly, this story of an Irish immigrant made good in the US but who forgets his girl at home but then goes to rescue her and her family from the evil landlord was very popular with Irish-American audiences. The existing copy of this has German title cards, but someone in YouTube comments provided a translation, which I will provide below the film. Quite interesting.

• 1)Farewell heart sun
• 2)How is this departing so difficult my love
• 3)Terry arrives in the land of the Dollar
• 4)An honest heart and a steady hand always find a place in America
• 5)The girl he left behind
• 6)Come back to Ireland
• 7)10 years later Terry achieves success in Politics
• 8) Alone
• 9) Time and distance cloud Terrys memories of his little girl at home
• 10)A letter informing him of the grandmothers death and that his absence in breaking his girls heart. He should come home. The writer of the letter has not told the girl they have written to him.
• 11) He listens to the voice in his heart
• 12)The unrelenting landlord threatens eviction.