Back to the collection

OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 1371

The Renunciation

190915 minUnited States

Synopsis

Two longtime friends working in a mining camp fall for the same woman. Their rivalry threatens to turn violent, until she interrupts their quarrel with news that changes the meaning of their competition.

Watch the film ↓

Video edition: Wikimedia Commons
Original language: No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: not identified.
This copy runs: 12:03
Subtitles: No subtitle track in this language

No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: not identified. No subtitle track in this language.

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · D. W. Griffith · Public domain

This copy runs shorter than the reference runtime. Editing and playback speed can differ between editions.

Cast

Mary Pickford

DirectorsD. W. Griffith

Historical context

Biograph sets a romantic comedy within a western mining community. The friendship between the rivals makes their shared misunderstanding the centre of the joke.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film reference Wikidata — film identity and credits Additional film reference

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 16, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

Mary Pickford — Rufus Porter Moody · Public domain

Audience rating

Loading ratings…