 A previous version of Corelli's novel had been filmed in England in 1917, but that version was not nearly as faithful to the novel as the 1926 remake.Reportedly Griffith did not want to do this project, but as his first Paramount assignment he was not given a choice.Remarkably, however, the film turned out to be one of Griffith's most fully realized works and its critical stock has risen considerably in the last several decades.