The Village Blacksmith (1922): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1922, The Village Blacksmith is a drama and romance film directed by John Ford, running about 80 minutes. “It Will Surely Carry You Back To Your Childhood Days” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. (survived only 10 minutes) As young men, the squire (Marshall) and the village blacksmith (Walling) are in love with the same woman (Boardman), whom the blacksmith marries. This angers the squire. Years later, the squire's son Anson (Yearsley) dares the blacksmith's son Johnnie (Hackathorne) to climb a tree, from which he falls and is crippled. As adults, Anson and the blacksmith's daughter Alice (Valli) fall in love, which angers the blacksmith, who chastises his daughter. The blacksmith's other son Bill (Butler) returns from college and is injured in a train accident. Anson steals $480 from a church fund which is currently in Alice's possession. Alice is struck by lightning. The blacksmith take Anson and the squire to church where they both repent.

Who’s in it. The Village Blacksmith stars Will Walling as John Hammond, Virginia True Boardman as Mrs. John Hammond, Virginia Valli as Alice Hammond and Ida Mae McKenzie as Alice as a Child, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.0/10, The Village Blacksmith has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Village Blacksmith page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Village Blacksmith tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.