The Idol Dancer
The Idol Dancer is a 1920 American silent South Seas drama film produced and directed by D. W. Griffith. It stars Richard Barthelmess and Clarine Seymour in her final film role. Seymour was a young actress Griffith was grooming for stardom. She died of pneumonia shortly after emergency surgery for an intestinal blockage on April 24, 1920, less than a month after the film premiered.

The film is based on the story "Blood of the Covenants" by Gordon Ray Young. The scenario was written by Stanner E. V. Taylor.

Plot
Mary (Seymour) is the daughter of a French man and a Javanese mother and enjoys dancing. She has two lovers. One is a beachcomber named Barthelmess, who was tossed off a passing ship for failing to work and only seeks to drink gin. The other, named Hale, is a sickly young American who came to the island in hopes of regaining his health and is staying with his missionary uncle, named MacQuarrie, and his wife, named Bruce. 

While on the island, natives from a neighboring island attack. The beachcomber reforms, and Mary comes to love him.

Cast
Richard Barthelmess as Dan McGuire, a beachcomber
Clarine Seymour as Mary
Creighton Hale as Walter Kincaid
George MacQuarrie as Reverend Franklyn Blythe
Kate Bruce as Mrs. Blythe
Porter Strong as Reverend Peter
Anders Randolf as The Blackbirder
Walter James as Chief Wando
Thomas Carr as Donald Blythe
Herbert Sutch as Old Thomas
Adolph Lestina as Black Slave
Ben Grauer as Native Boy
Walter Kolomoku as Native Musician
Florence Short as Pansy

Production
Griffith filmed exteriors for The Idol Dancer simultaneously with The Love Flower, including filming in Nassau, Bahamas in December 1919 and in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1920.

Status
A 35mm print of the film is preserved by the Cohen Media Group. 16mm prints of the film are held in private collections.

See also
South Seas genre

References

External links

Stills at moviessilently.com
Southseascinema.org

1920 drama films
1920s American films
American black-and-white films
American silent feature films
Films directed by D. W. Griffith
Films shot in Florida
Films shot in the Bahamas
First National Pictures films
Silent American drama films
Surviving American silent films