In 1913, early film mogul Siegmund Lubin decided it was time to produce films longer than the normal one or two reels. His philosophy that “spectacles and disasters” were what audiences wanted to see informed his first mega-production, this three-reeler featuring the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire as its centerpiece.
When the Earth Trembled or The Strength of Love was released in three reels by the Lubin Film Company in November 1913. Three 35mm sources of the film are known to survive: – A tinted nitrate print with Dutch intertitles in the Van Liemt Collection preserved at Eye Filmmuseum (875m). – A black and white preservation negative with Dutch titles held by the Museum of Modern Art, originally from the Jean Desmet Collection (375m). – A black and white preservation negative with original English titles held by the British Film Institute (630m). Elements from each of these sources have been used to complete this restoration. Where possible, the original English titles are included. When original titles were not available, translations of the Dutch titles in the Eye and MoMA materials have been substituted. The recreated titles are identified with the notation “2015” a the bottom of the frame. The original color tinting has been reproduced to match the colors present in the Eye nitrate print and by following the notations indicated in the BFI negative. This restoration was completed in March 2015.
