Man's Genesis (1912) Super 8 scan

Clicking the 'CC' icon enables subtitles for the two illegible title cards shown early on in the film.
Caveman Weakhands (Robert Harron) desires a life with the recently orphaned Lilywhite (Mae Marsh), but primeval Bruteforce (Wilfred Lucas) has laid claim to her. Though foiled by the larger man's superior strength, Weakhands happens upon an invention that will change the course of his life-- and the course of human history.
IMDB lists the film's runtime at 17 minutes, but I can't find where that info was sourced from. We do know the film was reissued in 1915 by the Biograph Company, at which point the runtime could've been cut down; It's also possible that home-gauge-era Blackhawk Films may have "abbreviated" the movie in order to fit it on one reel. It's also possible that IMDB's runtime is incorrect, and this is the full film as it was seen in 1912.
At the time of its release, Man's Genesis was celebrated as an ambitious and provocative work of film art, but it's safe to say affections had cooled by the mid-century. In exchange for cheap laughs, collector-entertainer Paul Killiam provided a mocking voiceover of the film when an excerpt aired on The Steve Allen Show in 1960. Editorialized Richard Schickel in his book D.W. Griffith, An American Life: "It is impossible to see it today as anything but a pioneering example of the camp spirit".
No matter what its detractors have said, I believe the film is ripe for rediscovery. Both Man's Genesis and its expanded semi-sequel Brute Force (1914) are pure, unadulterated Griffith: Grand concepts of human struggle, ingenuity and 'capital-P' progress are explored in an historical-- and sensational-- setting.
And that's to say nothing of the players: The normally charming and boyish Robert Harron's transformation into desperate subhuman Weakhands is a sight to behold, while Mae Marsh's Lilywhite exudes both demure fragility and an alluring tenderness. And the casting of Wilfred Lucas as heavy Bruteforce is pretty much perfection. But I digress-- You can now judge the film for yourself. Enjoy.
Blackhawk LD408 LOC0921 [860341941] scanned with a Wolverine Pro at 2K.
Upload #3 of Man's Genesis-- Fixed aspect ratio, rendered at double the bitrate of the original upload.

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Tnx for this full version