Blind Man's Eyes

Hugh Overton has been falsely convicted of the murder of Matthew Latrone and sent to prison. In order to clear his name, he escapes and heads back to the scene of the crime, traveling under the name of Philip Eaton. While on the train he runs into Basil Santoine, a blind attorney who he knows has the evidence to prove his innocence. Latrone has also learned of Overton's trip and has sent his henchman, Donald Avery, to dispose of Eaton. Unfortunately, Avery mistakes Santoine for Eaton and attempts to kill him, but simply leaves him unconscious.

When he awakes, Santoine suspects Eaton, due to his voice, who he had heard earlier in the evening, and which he remembered as he was one of the witnesses at Overton's trial. Santoine invite him back to his home, in order to figure out what his role is in everything. While under Santoine's roof, Eaton/Overton falls in love with Harriet, Basil's daughter, who refers to her as his "eyes", hence she is the "blind man's eyes".

Overton knows that Santoine has evidence in his safe which will prove his innocence. Latrone, who everyone thinks is dead, also knows this. Both men attempt to break into Santoine's safe on the same night. Overton and Latrone struggle, but Latrone is shot and killed by Avery, who had come as backup to his employer. The evidence comes to light, and Overton is declared innocent, after which he and Harriet become a couple.

• Bert Lytell as Hugh Overton, aka Philip D. Eaton
• Frank Currier as Basil Santoine
• Naomi Childers as Harriet Santoine
• Joseph Kilgour as Matthew Latrone
• Richard Morris as Gabriel Warden
• Morris Foster as Donald Avery
• Gertrude Claire as Mrs. Overton
• Mignon Anderson as Edith Overton
• Effie Conley

Production on the film began on January 6, 1919, as soon as Bert Lytell had returned from a stint in training for the U.S. Army.{{cite news | newspaper=Motion Picture News | title=In and Out of West Coast Studios |author=J.C. Jessen | date=January 4, 1919 | page=122 | url=https://archive.org/stream/motionpicturenew19moti_3#page/122/mode/2up/search/Blind+Man's+Eyes | accessdate=December 11, 2019}}{{Open access}}{{cite news | newspaper=Motion Picture World | title=Studio Shorts | date=January 11, 1919 | page=196 | url=https://archive.org/stream/movingwor39chal#page/196/mode/2up/search/Blind+Man's+Eyes | accessdate=December 11, 2019}}{{Open access}} The first scenes of the picture were filmed at a newly constructed courtroom set on the Metro lot. It was revealed in mid-January that William Ince would direct the film, and Naomi Childers would be the female lead opposite Lytell.{{cite news | newspaper=Motion Picture News | title=In and Out of West Coast Studios |author=J.C. Jessen | date=January 18, 1919 | page=409 | url=https://archive.org/stream/motionpicturenew19moti_3#page/408/mode/2up/search/Blind+Man's+Eyes | accessdate=December 11, 2019}}{{Open access}} It was reported that by January 25 the film was approximately half-way completed. Some of the interiors had been filmed in a Pullman car located on the Metro lot.{{cite news | newspaper=Motion Picture News | title=In and Out of West Coast Studios |author=J.C. Jessen | date=January 25, 1919 | page=585 | url=https://archive.org/stream/motionpicturenew19moti_3#page/584/mode/2up/search/Blind+Man's+Eyes | accessdate=December 11, 2019}}{{Open access}} The Pullman car was specially built on the Metro lot, in their new large studio, and was built to standard Pullman specifications.{{cite news | newspaper=Moving Picture World | title=Reproduces Pullman for Metro Picture | date=March 1, 1919 | page=1227 | url=https://archive.org/stream/movwor39chal#page/1226/mode/2up/search/Blind+Man's+Eyes | accessdate=December 11, 2019}}{{Open access}}

Later Metro chartered a special train which traveled over 110 miles outside Los Angeles, the train consisted of an engine, a Pullman, and an obvservation car. Several scenes were shot inside the train, but many exterior shots were also filmed.{{cite news | newspaper=Moving Picture World | title=Get Special Train for Lytell | date=February 1, 1919 | page=661 | url=https://archive.org/stream/movingwor39chal#page/660/mode/2up/search/Blind+Man's+Eyes | accessdate=December 11, 2019}}{{Open access}} In early February it was reported that other actors attached to the project included Joseph Kilgour, Frank Currier, Richard Morris, Morris Foster, Gertrude Claire, and Mignon Anderson.{{cite news | newspaper=Motion Picture News | title=Four Under Way and One in Production | date=February 8, 1919 | page=875 | url=https://archive.org/stream/motionpicturenew19moti_3#page/874/mode/2up/search/Blind+Man's+Eyes | accessdate=December 11, 2019}}{{Open access}} By the end of April, filming on the picture was almost completed,{{cite news | newspaper=Motion Picture News | title=Lytell Finishing Picture | date=February 22, 1919 | page=1165 | url=https://archive.org/stream/motionpicturenew19moti_3#page/1164/mode/2up/search/Blind+Man's+Eyes | accessdate=December 11, 2019}}{{Open access}} and a release date of March 10 was announced.{{cite news | newspaper=Motion Picture News | title=Metro Names for March | date=February 22, 1919 | page=1183 | url=https://archive.org/stream/motionpicturenew19moti_3#page/1182/mode/2up/search/Blind+Man's+Eyes | accessdate=December 11, 2019}}{{Open access}} The production was completed by March 1.{{cite news | newspaper=Moving Picture World | title=Bert Lytell Completes His Work on "Blind Man's Eyes" | date=March 1, 1919 | page=1236 | url=https://archive.org/stream/movwor39chal#page/1236/mode/2up/search/Blind+Man's+Eyes | accessdate=December 11, 2019}}{{Open access}}

Exhibitors Herald gave the picture a positive review. They felt that the film had a unique twist in its plot, and the only downside they saw to the film was the unrelenting suspense. They felt the cast as a whole did a good job, and highlighted the performances of Lytell, Currier, and Childers.{{cite news | newspaper=Exhibitors Herald | title=Reviews: Bert Lytell in Blind Man's Eyes | date=March 29, 1919 | page=33 | url=http://www.archive.org/stream/exhibitorsherald08exhi#page/n93/mode/2up/search/Blind+Man's+Eyes | accessdate=December 11, 2019}}{{Open access}} Moving Picture World also gave the film a positive review, calling it a "strong mystery story", and calling Bert Lytell's performance "excellent". They also applauded Ince's direction, as well as Childer's performance.{{cite news | newspaper=Moving Picture World | title=Reviews and Advertising Aids: "Blind Man's Eyes" | date=March 22, 1919 | pages=1698–99 | url=https://archive.org/stream/movwor39chal#page/1698/mode/2up/search/Blind+Man's+Eyes | accessdate=December 11, 2019}}{{Open access}} Picture-Play Magazine gave Lytell's performance high marks, saying that his characterization "is appealing from the very outset and which grows more appealing with each successive scene.{{cite news | newspaper=Picture-Play Magazine | title=The Screen Review |author=Peter Milne | date=June 1919 | page=280 | url=https://archive.org/stream/pictureplaymagaz10unse#page/n537/mode/2up/search/Blind+Man's+Eyes | accessdate=December 11, 2019}}{{Open access}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{IMDb title|0186887}}
• {{TCMDb title|489382}}
• {{AFI film|17337}}

Category:Silent American drama films

Category:American silent feature films

Category:American black-and-white films

Category:Metro Pictures films

Category:Films directed by John Ince

Category:1919 drama films

Category:1919 films

Category:1910s English-language films

Category:1910s American films