The Idol Dancer
The Idol Dancer is a 1920 American silent South Seas drama film produced and directed by D. W. Griffith. It stars Richard Barthelmess and Clarine Seymour in her final film role. Seymour was a young actress Griffith was grooming for stardom. She died of pneumonia shortly after emergency surgery for an intestinal blockage on April 24, 1920, less than a month after the film premiered.
The film is based on the story "Blood of the Covenants" by Gordon Ray Young. The scenario was written by Stanner E. V. Taylor.
Plot
Mary is the daughter of a French man and a Javanese mother and enjoys dancing. She has two lovers. One is a beachcomber named Barthelmess, who was tossed off a passing ship for failing to work and only seeks to drink gin. The other, named Hale, is a sickly young American who came to the island in hopes of regaining his health and is staying with his missionary uncle, named MacQuarrie, and his wife, named Bruce.While on the island, natives from a neighboring island attack. The beachcomber reforms, and Mary comes to love him.