I'll be honest - I kind of love this. By and large, only one of three words is necessary to describe 'Out yonder' at any given point. Yet at the same time that the narrative and presentation is generally fairly simple, the production is suitable, and well done. And against all odds, I think it's charming, and outright lovely.
The story is more than a little predictable in the broad strokes, with familiar themes and beats woven in including pride, classism, secrets, love, suspicion, dastardly scheming, and so on. There are minor twists to the narrative, but nothing wholly remarkable, and the plot merely follows the basic routine structure of exposition, rising action, climax, and denouement. For all that, though, I think the writing is unexpectedly strong. The narrative is solid, and engaging, and each successive scene is given deft attention in conjuration and realization alike to make them as rich, vivid, and dynamic as they could be. Character writing is likewise a bit surprising for how robust it is, with most figures being given diverse, vibrant personalities and motivations, and still there's sufficient room to allow the actors to bring a bit of their own flair to the parts. And while the picture perhaps relies a bit too much on intertitles, especially those loaded with text from top to bottom, the plot advancement and dialogue that they relate are carefully considered.
I'm also very pleased with the performances, as I truly think everyone in the cast turns in great displays of acting. From Huntley Gordon as love interest Edward, to Louise Prussing and Edward Ellis as more unseemly individuals with their own notions in play; from John Smiley as the beleaguered lighthouse keeper, to Marie Coverdale in the smaller supporting part as Edward's mother - all the assembled players demonstrate excellent range, nuance, poise, and personality in embodying their roles and bringing the story to life. This goes above all, however, for Olive Thomas, a starlet who left us far too soon. Of her few surviving films, and those I have seen, I for one sincerely think this marks the best illustration of the great acting skills we sadly saw too little of before she died. If slightly restricted by the curt editing and structure of the feature that mean plenty of cuts to different intertitles, shots, or scenes, I think Thomas exhibits the sort of prowess to deservedly mark her as a fine leading lady of early cinema.
Details like hair and makeup, costume design, set design, and filming locations range from admirable to suitable. Effects used in the picture (standing in for rain, lightning, wind) are modest, but fine. As suggested, editing is sometimes a bit overzealous - not least of all at the climax - and Ralph Ince's direction mostly comes across as simply adequate. I will say I'm more of a fan of the lighting here, used well to help build some scenes. And in totality - while there are infrequent imperfections that come and go, and 'Out yonder' isn't necessarily a film one needs to go out of their way to see, much more so than not I think this is highly enjoyable, and well worth checking out.
I reckon it's noteworthy that depending on how and where one finds the picture to view, there may be a marginal disparity in the tale that is related. Specifically, I've seen synopses in English of 'Out yonder' that impart a slightly different take on the course events compared to what is conveyed through the intertitles in the Dutch release, 'De vuurtoren in den storm.' The meat of the plot remains intact, of course - and in fairness, only viewings of each different version to compare would truly confirm comportment or lack thereof - but enough small detail distinctly varies that I feel it should be mentioned.
Regardless, one could him and haw about this and that for many pages. At length, when all is said and done, there is no loftier intent here than to entertain with a compelling story - and I enthusiastically believe that aim is achieved. With capable writing and performances as anchors, and Olive Thomas as a fetching and gifted lead, I heartily recommend 'Out yonder' as an overlooked silent classic that deserves more time in the sun. If you have the chance to watch it, please do!