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Hello, I'm Dave Karger, welcome back to TCM.

Tonight we have the privilege of presenting

the world premieres of two new restorations

of silent films that were produced nearly 100 years ago.

Our next film comes from MGM and stars

one of the most acclaimed actresses

of the silent era, Lillian Gish.

From 1927, it's "Annie Laurie."

This is a historical drama based on

the tragic 17th century massacre at Glencoe,

the result of a longstanding feud

between two Scottish clans,

Campbell and MacDonald.

For the film, the history was altered a bit

to include a fictional romance

between a young woman from one clan,

played by Lillian Gish,

and a young man from the other.

"Annie Laurie" was directed by John S. Robertson,

who had previously directed John Barrymore

in the landmark 1920 version

of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."

He would soon go on to direct Greta Garbo

in one of her last silent films,

"The Single Standard," from 1929.

By this point in 1927, Lillian Gish was one of

the biggest stars in movies.

She had been making films for 15 years,

beginning as the protege of DW Griffith,

starring in his groundbreaking productions

like "The Birth of a Nation" and "Intolerance."

Gish parted ways with Griffith and made "Annie Laurie"

after signing a new contract with MGM.

Of all the studios in Hollywood,

MGM was one of the few

that carefully preserved its existing silent films,

but "Annie Laurie" was not among them.

For decades, this film was considered lost.

Then in the 1970s,

the American Film Institute acquired a copy,

the only known 35 millimeter nitrate copy

of the domestic version.

The print was mostly complete,

but it was not in pristine condition.

It was deposited at the Library of Congress,

where it's been preserved and recently restored,

including its original two color technicolor ending

and a new score by Robert Israel.

From 1927, also with Norman Carey and Creighton Hale,

here's the world premier of

the restoration of "Annie Laurie."

This new restoration of "Annie Laurie"

featured original score by Robert Israel,

who drew his inspiration from the film's setting.

Scotland has a long and rich musical heritage,

with folk songs and pipe tunes

that have significant meaning and relevance

for different moments and occasions.

Israel spent months researching Scottish folk music

and learning from university scholars

and professional musicians.

One of the tunes he used in the score you just heard,

dates all the way back to the 15th century.

There's also a sequence in the film

where Creighton Hale, who played Donald,

teases Lillian Gish with a song called,

"My Loves but a Lass," which includes lyrics

by the famous Scottish poet Robert Burns.

And of course, the lavish symphonic orchestration

wouldn't have been complete without bagpipes,

which Israel also carefully incorporated into the score.

Up next tonight, a recent documentary

about the process and essential work of film preservation.

Don't go away.