The Kiss of Hate

Count Peter Turgeneff moves with his children to the Governor's palace in the Russian province of Valogda, and their arrival stirs the town. His daughter Nadia and his kindhearted son Paul catch the attention of the nearby ghetto, where oppressed residents greet the change with hope. Tensions between social classes and local figures begin to surface as loyalties are tested. The story unfolds through silent-era melodrama and heightened performances, concentrating on family bonds, generosity, and the uneasy relationship between privilege and the people who live under it, all without revealing the plot's later turns.

Released in 1916, the film was directed by William Nigh and draws on material by Frédérique De Grésac. Ethel Barrymore leads as Nadia Turgeneff, supported by H. Cooper Cliffe, Robert Elliott, Roy Applegate, and Niles Welch, reflecting a stage-to-screen casting approach common in that era.

Commercial records for many 1910s pictures are scarce, and this title is no exception. There aren't reliable box office totals available, and contemporary distribution was more regional, so its financial reach is hard to trace now.

Ethel Barrymore's presence gives the picture some historical interest, since she was already an established stage star moving into film work. The movie sits within the silent period when theater actors and literary adaptations helped shape early American cinema, though it hasn't retained a large modern profile.

Critical response from the time is limited in surviving sources, so modern assessment relies on context and surviving descriptions. Themes include class disparity, compassion in the face of oppression, and the strains placed on family honor. The acting style is theatrical and expressive, with visual storytelling typical of silent dramas, so viewers interested in early 20th century film history will find it informative even if detailed reviews are rare.