A growing source of silent era film information. This listing is from The Progressive Silent Film List by Carl Bennett. Copyright © 1999-2025 by Carl Bennett and the Silent Era Company. All Rights Reserved.

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The Lesser Evil
(1912) United States of America
B&W : One reel
Directed by D.W. Griffith

Cast: Blanche Sweet [the young woman], Edwin August [the young woman’s sweetheart], Mae Marsh [the young woman’s friend], Alfred Paget [the smuggler leader], Charles Hill Mailes [the revenue agent; and a policeman], Harry Hyde [a policeman], Charles West [the go-between], William A. Carroll [a smuggler], Charles Gorman [a smuggler], Robert Harron [a smuggler], J. Jiquel Lanoe [a smuggler], Frank Opperman [a smuggler], W.C. Robinson [a smuggler], [?] Owen Moore?

Biograph Company production; distributed by The General Film Company, Incorporated. / Scenario by George Hennessy. / Released 29 April 1912. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.

Drama.

Survival status: Print exists.

Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].

Listing updated: 14 December 2024.

References: Barry-Griffith p. 43; Drew-Speaking p. 285; Everson-American p. 47, 86c; Spehr-American p. 2 : Website-IMDb.

Home video: DVD.