Barriers Burned Away

John and Edwin Martin, two brothers, occupy, each with his own family, a double house; they are all very much united. Each one of the brothers has a child. John has a little boy, named Frank, and Edwin, a little daughter named Tillie. The two children are playmates and the wives are the closest of friends. Everything is harmonious, when like a flash of lightning from a clear sky, a quarrel, through some trifling difference of opinion, arises between the two wives, which leads to the severance of the happy relations of the two families, excepting the two children, who fortunately cannot grasp the meaning of it all and consequently remain in blissful ignorance of its purpose and are happy only when in each other's company.

Directed by —, Barriers Burned Away leans on a strong ensemble — Maurice Costello, Helen Gardner, Julia Swayne Gordon — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1911.