The Female of the Species (1912): Cast & Plot
The Female of the Species is a 1912 short drama directed by D.W. Griffith, starring Charles West as The Miner (as Charles H. West), Claire McDowell and Mary Pickford. It runs 14 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 14 min
- Director
- D.W. Griffith
- Genre
- Drama
- Original language
-
English - After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Female of the Species About?
The premise of The Female of the Species without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A psychological tragedy set in an abandoned mining town, where a man and three women embark on a desert trek. When the man dies, his grief fuels her determination as she suspects his companion of having an affair with him and plots revenge, leading to a tense confrontation.
The Female of the Species Themes & Keywords
· 5 tags- lost
- wasteland
- stranded
- desert
- melodrama
The Female of the Species Cast & Characters
Charles West leads the cast as The Miner (as Charles H. West), with Claire McDowell as The Miner's Wife and Mary Pickford as The Miner's Wife's Sister. Directed by D.W. Griffith; 4 actors are credited in all.
- Director D.W. Griffith
- Charles West as The Miner (as Charles H. West)
- Claire McDowell as The Miner's Wife
- Mary Pickford as The Miner's Wife's Sister
- Dorothy Bernard as The Other Woman
More from D.W. Griffith
More films directed by D.W. Griffith, best-rated first: Intolerance, The Struggle, Abraham Lincoln and Lady of the Pavements.
The Female of the Species Plot Summary
What happens in The Female of the Species from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In a stark desert, four survivors—the miner Charles West, his wife Claire McDowell, her sister Mary Pickford, and a third woman Dorothy Bernard—begin a grueling, relentless race with death after a brutal mining camp massacre. The group rides a mule bearing their supplies, the man clinging to the animal as heat, isolation, and fear tighten their grip. As the desert* burns around them, the wife and sister scour the wasteland for water, while the miner makes a dangerous, ill‑fated advance toward the other woman, who resists with quiet resolve.
Full summary
The whole story of The Female of the Species, scene by scene
Seen The Female of the Species?
Movies Like The Female of the Species
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including To the Desert, Wilderness Survival for Girls and The Woman Suffers.
The Female of the Species FAQ: Cast & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The Female of the Species, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Female of the Species?
The Female of the Species runs 14 minutes.
When was The Female of the Species released?
The Female of the Species was released on April 15, 1912.
Who directed The Female of the Species?
The Female of the Species was directed by D.W. Griffith.
More films by D.W. Griffith Who is in the cast of The Female of the Species?
The Female of the Species stars Charles West as The Miner (as Charles H. West), Claire McDowell as The Miner's Wife and Mary Pickford as The Miner's Wife's Sister, among 4 credited actors.
Does The Female of the Species have a post-credit scene?
No. The Female of the Species has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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