Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages (1916)

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Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages (1916)

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A Sun-play of the Ages
INTOLERANCE
A drama of Comparions
ACT I

Our play is made up of
four separate storyes,laid in different periods of history,
each with its own set of characters.

Each story shows how hatred and
intolerance,through all the ages,
have battled against love and charity.

Therefore, you will find our play
turning from one of the four stories to another, as the common
theme unfolds in each.

"Out of the cradle wndlessly rocking."

Today as yesterday, endlessly rocking,
ever bringing the same human passions,the same joys
and sorrows.

Our first story - out of the
cradle of the present
In a western city we find certain
ambitious ladies banded together for the "uplift" of humanity.

Even reform movements
must be financed.
"If we can only interest
Miss Jenkis - with her money-"

A little affair is being given
by Mary T. Jenkins,umarried sister of the
autocratic industrial overlord-

Seeing youth drawn to youth,
Miss Jenkis realizes the bitter fact that she is no longer a part
of the younger world.

The girl of our story keeps
house for her father who works
in a Jenkins mill. With a wage
of $ . a day, a little garden,four hens, ditto geese,
and a fair measure of happiness and
contentment.

The little Dear One.

The Boy, unacquainted with
the little Dear One, is employed with his
father in the same mill.

Age intolerant of youth and laughter. "The vestal virgins of Uplift"
succeed reaching Miss Jenkins in their search
for funds.

"We must have laws to
make people good."

"There is dancing in cafes."

-Comes now from out the cradle
of yesterday, the story of an ancient people,whose lives, though far away
from uors, run parallel in their hopes
and perplexities.

Ancient Jerusalem,
the golden city whose people have given us many
of our highest ideals, and from the carpenter
shop of Bethlehem, sent us the Man of Man,
the greatest enemy of intolerance.

Near the Jafa gate.

The house in Cana of Galolee

Certain hypocrites among the Pharisees
Pharisees - A learnd Jewish party,
the name possibly brought into disrepute later by
hypocrites among them.

When these Pharisees pray they
vemand that all action cease.

"Oh Lord, I thank thee that
I am better then other men"

"Amen."

Another period of the past. A.D. - Paris, a hotbed of
intolerance, in the time of Catherine de Medici, and her son
Charles IX, King of France.

Charles IX receiving his brother,
Monsieur La France, Duc d'Anjou.

The heir to the throne, the
effeminate Monsieur La France.
Pets and toys his pastimes.

Catherine de Medici, queen-mother
who covers her political intolerance
of the Hunguenots beneath the
cloak of the great Catholic Religion. Note: Huguenots - the Protestant
party of this period.

The great Protestant leader, the Admiral Coligny,
head of the Huguenot party.

What a wonderful man, the Admiral
Coligny, if he only thought as we do.

What a wonderful king,
if he only thought as we do.

The King's favor to Coligny increases
the haterd of the opposite party.

Celebrating the betrothal
of Marguerite of Valois,
sister of King, to Henry
of Navarre, royal Huguenot, to insure peace in the
place of intolerance.

Marguerite of Valois.

Henry of Navarre.

Brown Eyes, her family
of the Huguenot party,
and her sweetheart,
Prosper Latour.

Brown Eyes attracts the attention
of a mercenary soldier.

Returning to our story
of today we find the embittered Miss Jenkins aligning
herself with the modern Pharisees and agreeing
to help the Uplifters.

A diversion of
the mill workers.

"To every thing there is a sesion....
a time to mourn and a time to dance...He hath made everything
beautiful in his time." Ecclesiastes III

The little Dear One
having the time of her life.

"Want my straw?"

Miss Jenkins receives a
check from her brother for the purposed
uplift of humanity.

Jenkons studies his
employes' habits.

"Ten o'clock! They should be in bed
so they can work tomorrow."

And now our fourth story of
love's struggle against Intolerance, in that distant time
when all nations of the earth sat at
the feet of Babylon.

Outside of Imgur Bel,
the great gate of Babylon, in the time of Belshazzar, B.C.
Merchants, farmers, East Indians, with trains of elephants,
Egyptians, Numidians, and ambitious Persians
spying upon the city.

The Mountain Girl down
from the mountains of Suisana.

The Rhapsode, a Warrior singer-poet
agent of the High Priest of Bel.

The priest of Bel-Marduk,
supreme God of Babylon,
jealously watches the image
of the rival goddess, Ishtar, enter the city,
borne in a sacred ark.

"Dearest one - in the ash heaps of my
backyard there will be small flowers; seven lilies - if thou
wilt love me - but a little."

"Ishtar, goddess of love,
seven times seven I bow to thee. Let her enjoy
this kiss."

On the great wall.
The Prince, Belshazzar,
son of Nobonidus, apostle of
tolerance and religious freedom.
Note: Replica of Babylon's encircling
walls, feet in height,
and broad enough for
the passing of chariots.

The two-sword man,
Belshazzar's faithful guard,
a mighty man of valor.

The intolerant High Priest
of Bel sees in the enthronement of rival gods, the loss of his own
great powers in Babylon.

The gate of Imgur Bel which
no enemy has been able to force.

Hand maidens from Ishtar's
Temple of Love and Laughter.

The Princess Beloved,
favorite of Belshazzar, The Princess Beloved,
favorite of Belshazzar, in the hareem of
My Lord the Prince.

A love blossom
from Belshazzar.
Stricken by her pale beauty,
as though by white lighting.

The brother of the Mountain Girl,
having some slight trouble
with his high-spirited sister,
takes the matter to the court.

The first know court
of justice in the world.
Nore: Babylonian justice according
to the code of Hammurabi, protecting the week
from the strong.

The Mountain Girl's brother tells
the Judge that she is incorrigible.

The judgment is that
she be sent to the marriage market to get
a good husband.

Endlessly rocks the cradle
uniter of here and hereafter.
Chanter of sorrows
and joys.

Resuming our story of today.
Dividends of the Jenkins mills failing to meet the increasing
demands of Miss Jenkins' charities she complains to her brother,
which helps decide him to action.

"Order a ten percent cut
in all wages."

A great strike follows.

"They swueeze the money
out of us and use it to advertise themselves
by reforming us."

Hungry ones that wait
to take their places.

Clear the property.

The Loom of Fate weaves
death for Boy's father.

The exodus after a time of waiting.
Forced to seek emploment elsewhere,many victims of the Jenkins'
aspirations go to the great city nearby - the Boy
among them.

A friendless one - alone -
as the result of the strike.

So too, the Dear One-
and her father.

Fate leads them all
to the same district.

The Boy unable to
find work - at last -

Adversity causes the friendless one
to listen to a Musketeer of the Slums

And again in Babylon.

The marriage market.
Money paid for beautiful women given to
homely ones, as dowers, so that all
may have husbands and be happy.

Lips brilliant with juice of
henna; eyes lined with kohl.
Note - According to Herodotus,
women corresponding to our street outcasts, for life the
wards of Church and State.

The auctioneer.

"Tish tish! 'tis no place
to eat onions."

The girl's turn - perhaps not so
different from the modern way.

In distant Nineveh -
One who would give his life if he were able to
buy the merchandise held so lightly upon
Love's market.

"And man will
be happy with this sweet wild rose
- this gentle dove."

"But touch my skirt and
I'll scratch your eyes out!"

The temper and rough
language of the "wild rose"
prove her to be
not without thorns.

"With her goes a third
of a mine of silver."

"You lice! You rats!
You refuse me?
"There is no gentler dove
in all Babylon than I. "

Belshazzar now ruling
for his father.

"Oh, lord of lords!
Oh, king of kings! Oh, masu! Oh, scorching
sun of the mid-day, these bugs will
not buy me for wife! "I dwell in sorrow."

"This seal gives you freedom
to marry or not to many - to be consecrated to the goddess of
love or not as thou choosest."

The Rhapsode,
working in the tenements, to convert
backsliders to the true
work ship of Bel.

"Put away thy perfumes,
thy garments of Assinnu, the female man. I shall
love none but a slodier."

The love - smitten Mountain Girl
vows eternal allegiance to Belshazzar.

In the Love Temple.
Virgins of the sacred fires of Life.

He promises to build
her a city, beautiful as the memory of her
own in a foreign land.

"The fragrant mystery of
your body is greater than the mystery
of life."

Belshazzar the king,
The very young king, of Babylon -
And his Princess Beloved.
Clearest and rarest of all his pearls. he very dearest one
of his dancing girls.

The Dear One in her
new environment forced
upon her by the Jenkins strike.
The same old love and dreams.

The hopeful geranium.

"I'll walk like her and maybe
everybody will like me too."

In the same neighborhood,
the friendless one again.

Across the hall.
The Musketeer of the Slums.

The Boy, now a barbarian
of the streets, a member
of The Musketeer's band.

Imitating the walk of
the girl of the street.

The Boy's news stand,
a blind for his real operations.
Their first meeting.

The new walk seems
to bring results.

"Say kid, you're going
to be my chicken."

"Pray to be forgiven!"

Inability to meet new
conditions brings untimely death to The Dear
One's father.

Out of the cradle, endlessly rocking-
The Comforter, out of Nazareth.

There was a marriage in Cana of Galilee.
John II
Note: The ceremony according to Sayce,
Hastings, Brown and Tissot.

The first sop
to the bridge.

Be ye as
harmless as doves.

Scorned and rejected
of men.

Mary, the mother.

Meddlers then as now.
"There is too much revelry
and pleasure - seeking
among the people."

The poor bridge and groom
suffer great humiliation.
The wine has
given out.

The first miracle.
The turning of water into wine.
Note: Wine was deemed
a fit offering to God; the drinking of it a part
of the Jewish religion.

Now for a time the little love
god works his small but mighty way, in other days the
same as now.

Brown Eyes and her family
happily ignorant of the web intolerance is weaving
around them.

Love's silent mystery.

The mercenary made
bold by passion.

In the good old summertime.
For the little Dear One, passing days and youth
have healed the wound.

The end of a
"Coney Island" day.

"Nothing doing on the good
night stuff, I always go inside to see
my girls."

"Help me to be a strong -
jawed jane."

"I told you before - I promised
Our Lad and I promised father that no man would
ever come in this room."

"Just for that I'll never
see you again!"

"I was thinking-
suppose we get married, than I can
come in."

"That's me. Kiss me good
night and we'll call it settled."

The enormous sums supplied by
Jenkins to be distributed as the
meddlers see fit in "charity" - now make the Uplifters the most
influential power in the community.

Equally intolerant
hypocrites of another age.

And the Pharisee said: "Behold a man
gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners."
St. Matthew XI -

The women taken
in adultery.

"Now Moses in the law commanded
us that such should be stoned; but what sayest thou?
John VIII

"He that is without
sin among you, let him first cast
a stone at her."

"Neither do I condemn thee;
go thou and sin no more"

Now, how shall we find
this Christly example followed in our
story of today? The Committee of Seventeen report
they have cleaned up the city.

"It is peaceful in the-"

"No more dancing in-"

"You yourself were with
us when we raided - "

When women cease
to attract men they often turn to Reform
as a second choice.

But these results they
do not report:

Each one his own distiller.
Instead of mild wines and beers...

The Boy, strongly braced
in the Dear One's sweet human faith, sets his
steps with hers on the straight raod.

The Boy tells the boss he won't
need the 'canon' any more; he is through with
the old life.

As an example to
others of the band, The Musketeer, with the
help of men higher up, arranges the old
familiar frame-up.

The sometimes
House of Intolerance.

Stolen goods,
planted on The Boy, and his bad reputation
intolerate him away for a term.

The broken love nest -
The Dear One - - alone...

While at the Jenkins home the
Uplifters celebrate their success
in righting the world
that was all wrong.

In Babylon.
The High Priest of Bell courts public homage.

The Priest of Bel, frenzied at the
worship of Ishtar, prophecies the loss of their souls and
the downfall of Babylon.

Belshazzar's father has
a red letter day. He excavates a foundation
brick of the temple of Naram-Sin,

Incidentally he remarks
that Cyrus, the Persian,
Babylon's mighty foe,
is nearling the city.

"We will begin building your
city, oh dove of Ishtar, when Cyrus
is conquered."

The Persian camp.
Cyrus, world-conqueror,
preparing for the titanic struggle
with Babylon, in secret league with the priest of Bel.
Note: Situate between the Euphrates
and post road
to Egypt.

The treacherous priest of Bel
recives assuring news from Cyrus.

In his tent, Cyrus, before
the sacred image of the sun.

The institution of Cyrus.
The Medes and Persians at exercises.
Note: It was required that each
man perapire every day.

Etihiopians.

Barbarinas.

Out of the cradle-
endlessly rocking. Baby fingers
hopefully lifted.

The little wife, now a mother,
plans for the day of daddy's return.

The Uplifters, claiming the regular
children's societies are inefficient,
now to return to
"negligent" mothers.

A cold sends our little mother
to an old-fashioned remed,
condemned publicly
yet used privately by many physicians
and hospitals.

The Uplifters investigate.
"Child - evil surroundings...criminal father."

Whisky!

"We are afraid you're
no fit mother..."

Reporting the case.

Despite the objections
of some of the members,
they decide to
seize the baby.

The friendly neigbor,
with a glass of beer.

"Did you see that?
A man visitor!"

"We have a warrant to
take your baby."

Suffer Little Children

Hoping for a sight
of her baby."Perhaps they are right and
baby is happy after all."

Of course, hired mothers
are never negligent.

A new dissipation -
watching the happiness of others.

In another bitter day,
memorable through intolerance.

The threatening attitude
of the Huguenots throughout France is reported
to Catherine.

The "old serpent" uses the
incident to inflame the minds of the Catholics against
the Protestants.


"Remember, gentlemen,
the Michelade at Nimes when
hundreds of our faith perished
at the hands of the Huguenots!"

"And so, oour very lives depend
upon their extermination."
An eye for an eye,
a tooth for a tooth...

Cyrus moves upon Babylon;
in his hand the sword of w*r,
most potent w*apon
forged in the flames of intolerance.

Belshazzar leaving to take
charge of the city's defense.

"My Lord, like white pearls I shall keep
my tears in an ark of silver for your return.
I bite my thumb!
I strike my gridle!
If you return not,
I go to the death halls of Allat."


While the Princess Beloved prays,
the Mountain Girl goes to fight
for her Belshazzar.

Babylon's gates close
against the foe.

w*r drums and trumpets!

"On the walls
of my city,
I, Beshazzar, defy
the enemies of Babylon. Allato! Allato! Allato!"

Great moving siege towers
covered with ox hide.

Inside the city walls.

Ancient instruments of w*r.
Rock-throwers, catapults,
battering rams, mighty
crossbows, burning oil.

Preyers in the temples and
burning of frankincense.

Burnt offerings.

"Ishtar, beloved, though our
sins be many, forgive us.
In our behalf seize thou
now the burning sword."

The city assaulted
on all sides.

Cyrus, the head of the w*r machine.

Cyrus repeats the world-old
prayer of intolerance,
to k*ll, k*ll, k*ll - world without end,
Amen.
and to God be the glory,

"Help us, Ishtar!"

"Oh, God! Fight for us! Save us!"

The Princess Beloved,
frenzied with w*r's terrors,
watches the battle
from afar.

Great timbers against
the towers.

Into the night.

"Fight for him, Ishtar,
fight for him!"

The women aid.

Morning brings fresh
assaults and towers.

The mighty man of valor
and his legion oppose the threatening tide.

A new and flaming engine
of destruction attempts to burn the towers of Cyrus.

The army of Cyrus
repulsed by Belshazzar.

Babylon's paean of victory.

"My glorious Belshazzar."

A Sun-play of the Ages
INTOLERANCE
A drama of Comparions
ACT II

In this last act the events
portrayed in Babylon are according
to the recently excavted cylinders
of Nabonidus and Cyrus,
that relate Babylon's
betrayal by the priest of Bel.

These cylinders describe the
greatest treason of all history,
by which a civilization of countless
ages was destroyed,
and a universal written language
was made to become
an unknown cypher on
the face of the earth.

In our modern story,
The Musketeer, inflamed by a new face wins
the unsuspecting little mother's confidence with a promise
to recover her baby.

Jealousy.

The Boy's return to
The Dear One.

The Feast of Belshazzar.
In the great court of the palace,
rejoicing over
Babylon's victory.

Before the nobles of Babylon,
Belshazzar pours out
the colossal hospitality
of an ancient time.
Note: This hall over a mile in leigth
imaged after the splendor of an olden day.

A golden moment for Belshazzar
and the Princess Beloved.

"To thee, oh Ishtar, all praise
for the victory."

A gateway of the banquet hall.
The Mountain Girl happy in being
even in the fringe of her hero's glory.

The High Priest looks down
upon the city he seeks to betray to Cyrus.

"They give thanks to Ishtar now,
but Oh Lord Bel- tommorow Cyrus, tu sthy servant, shall
avenge thee!"

The Rhapsode, unaware
of the dastardly purpose, is ordered by the High
Priest to have chariots at the great gate
for a journey to Cyrus

In the tenement district,
a simpler repast
- her last in Babylon.

At the table of Egibi,
Babylonia's greatest noble.
Note:
Following Babylonian custom,
the feasting lasts
many days.

Spiced wine, made cool
with snow from the mountains.

Soldiers, barbarians
and camp followres.

The Rhapsode, having completed
his arrangements for the journey,
turns to thoughts of love.

Thinking only of Belshazzar,
her hero, The Mountain Girl
leads on the
love-sick boy, until -

- - as always since the beginning
of time between man and maid,
boasting, he tells
everything he knows.

"I know not why me go, but
if I don't return soon you can
use the password
to visit me."

The conspiring priests
leave the banquet hall.

Catherine's audience with the King
to secure his signature to the order
for m*ssacre of St. Bartholomew.
Note: Councillors present:
:Nevers, Tavannes,
Retz and Birague.

"I will not consent
to this intolerant measure to destroy
any of my people."

After a long session, the
Intolerants sway the King.
"We must destroy
or be destroyed."

By God's death,
since you wish it, k*ll them all! k*ll them all!
Let not one
escape to upbraid me."

Prosper and Brown
Eyes betrothed.
"The banns - tomorrow,
St. Bartholomew's morn."

Candles out -
fading lights.

Prosper puzzled by
the ominous activites.

St. Bartholomew's eve.
Upon the doorways
of the Huguenots -
the chalk of doom.

Prosper's lodings
across the town.

In the Temple of Love.
The sacred dance in memory
of the resurrection
of Tammuz.

Beloved - a white rose -
from Beloved.

The gates manned with their
own guards, the priests are
guided by the Rhapsode on
their mission of treason to the camp of Cyrus.

In the interests of her prince
- A little flirtation.

Suspicious of the hated
priests' jourey to Cyrus, she uses the password
and follows them.

The Musketeer of the Slums
seizes an opportune time
to visit the
little wife.

"You go in and get the address
where the kid is."

"You know me - I can get
your baby for you."

"Just saw the boss go up
to see your wife."

Nearing the end of the
Boy's trial for m*rder.

Love's brave
encouragement.

"Yes, it was once my g*n -
but I - I - didn't do it."

The maiden case of
The Boy's attomey.

"I mean - can we
hang - I mean, it's only
circumstantial evidence."

The verdict - guilty.
Universal juistice, an eye for an eye,
a tooth for a tooth,
a m*rder for a m*rder.


Outside the Roman
Judgment Hall, after the verdict
of Pontius Pilate: "Let Him Be Crucified"

The Boy's sentence.

"Please - Mister Judge - "

"To be hanged by the neck
until dead, dead, dead!"

The Kindly Officer on the b*at
learns of the sentence.

"The people everywhere
are singing your praises."

The irresistible impulse.

In his distant camp, Cyrus awaits
the priests.

The Mountain Girl's
bold pursuit.

The day before the
Boy's execution.

Feeling the Boy wrongly
convicted by some mischance
o fate, the Kindly Heart
sees a ray of hope in the visit of the
governor to the city.

"And wondered if each one of us
Would end the self-same way,
For none can tell to what red Hell
His sightless soul may stray."

The governor unable to give any hop.

At the tents of Cyrus.

The Mountain Girl from a
distance watches the priests' arrival.

The great conspiracy.

The Boy's last dawn.
The hangman's test.

Desperate, the little wife
herself goes to the governor.

"Oh God, don't let
them do it!"

St. Bartholomew's morn.
The bell of St. Germain.

The beginning of the
m*ssacre of St. Bartholomew.

For Brown Eyes,
a terrible awakening.

The Dear One's appeal to
the Governor fruitless.

The Governor leaves.

"I k*lled him!
I did it, I did it!"

The attempt to overtake
the governor before he
reaches the train.

Her long wait rewarded,
she goes to warn Belshazzar
of the new advance
on Babylon.

The last Sacrament.

No . after the train,
leaps with a new impulse.

Intolerance, burning
and slaying.

In the doomed city. "Our
marriage will be annouced tomorrow."

"This bud will blossom -
tomorrow."

"Beloved, I will begin building
your city - tomorrow."

Cyrus sweeps on to
Babylon's destruction.

Medici, the old cat, is
scratching out the lives of all your people."

At the house of Brown Eyes.
The mercenary's opportunity.

Prosper, with the badges
of safety, goes to rescue his loved ones.

Even with the password,
Prosper's way beset with danger.

Babylon's last Bacchanal

Brown Eyes - ah me, ah me!

Cyrus unites forces with his
lieutenant, Gobryas.

The Mountain Girl's warning delayed by
the revelers.

A new appeal.

While Belshazzar doubts,
the army of Cyrus enters
through the gates left open
by the priests.

Belshazzar at last convinced
by his own servants.

Belshazzar finds only twelve
guards to defend his palace gates against
the hordes of Cyrus.

The Princess' vain appeal.

To save Belshazzar the
disgrace of captivity, they
send him back to his throne.

At the threshold of death.
The farewell.

"Honor commands that you
go with your king to the death
halls of Allat! Come!"

"To God the glory!
Long live Cyrus,
King of Kings and
Lord of Lords!"

When cannon
and prison bar
wrought in the
fires of intolerance -

And prefect love shall bring
peace forevermore.

Instead of prison walls -
Bloom flowery fields.

The End

Music Composed
by
Joseph Turrin

Produced for Video
by
Bret Wood
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