Ghosts (1915) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language

1915 · 58 mins

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Directed by

John Emerson, George Nichols

Starring

Henry B. Walthall, Mary Alden, Monte Blue, Erich von Stroheim, Loretta Blake, Nigel De Brulier

A striking five‑act Mutual masterpiece follows Helen Alving, whose outwardly contented life is on the cusp of a poignant anniversary. On the eve of the tenth year since her husband’s death, she prepares to open an orphanage in his memory. Her bohemian painter son, Oswald, returns from Paris, and Helen intends to finally reveal the truth about his father. As the evening unfolds, ghosts from the past surface, shattering the polite veneer of the family and exposing buried secrets.