Griffith made this film and Enoch Arden: Part II (1911) together as a two-reeler, a first for an American studio. Biograph refused to release the two reels for the admission price of one. (Studio heads believed patrons wouldn't pay extra to see longer movies.) They released the film as two separate one-reelers, a common practice at the time. However, other two-part films were made as separate stories that stood alone. Audiences who saw the two parts of "Enoch Arden" could tell it was really one movie. They asked to see the two reels together. Exhibitors complied, charging double admission. Soon, all the studios were making two-reelers at increased prices.
When combined with Part II, which is really the second reel of this film, the total film length adds up to 1997 feet.