LIGHTNIN'
starring Jay Hunt, Madge Bellamy, Wallace MacDonald and J. Farrell
MacDonald
PHOTOPLAY
October, 1925
It was a great play, but it isn't so much of a picture. Perhaps the secret of its success died with Frank Bacon. Certainly Jay Hunt fails to make Bill Jones the ornery, but lovable, character he was on the stage. He's just a pesky old man. The director tried to transfer the action too literally to the screen. He missed much of the pricelss spirit of the play.
LIGHTNIN'
starring Jay Hunt, Madge Bellamy, Wallace MacDonald and J. Farrell
MacDonald
MOTION PICTURE MAGAZINE
November, 1925
One of the greatest stage successes of all time has reached the screen, and in the celluloid version it has lost much of its mellow character. As a play it conquered thru its quaint homespun touches, which were excellently established by the dialogue and the clever bits of business, not forgetting Frank Bacon's very human study of the old Civil War veteran, who was always at odds with his wife. As a picture there is nothing to take the place of the dialogue, its very simplicity being overpowered with bits of extraneous detail to extend it thru feature length. Jay Hunt in the role of the liquor-loving veteran is inclined to be self-conscious. Of the performances, Edythe Chapman as Lightnin' Bill's wife, Otis Harlan, Wallace MacDonald and Madge Bellamy, contribute satisfactory work.
SAG note: The director is John Ford, and the scenarist is Frances Marion.