''The Little American'' is a 1917 American silent romantic

war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cine ...

. The film stars

Mary Pickford Gladys Marie Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American stage and screen actress and producer with a career that spanned five decades. A pioneer in the US film industry, she co-founde ...

(who also served as producer) as an American woman who is in love with both a German soldier and a French soldier during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. A print of the film is housed at the

UCLA Film and Television Archive The UCLA Film & Television Archive is a visual arts organization focused on the preservation, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Also a nonprofit exhibition venue, the ar ...

and has been released on DVD.

Plot

Karl Von Austreim ( Jack Holt) lives in America with his German father and American mother. He admires and woos a young woman, Angela More (

). As she is celebrating her birthday on the

Fourth of July Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...

of 1914, she receives flowers from the French Count Jules De Destin (

Raymond Hatton Raymond William Hatton (July 7, 1887 – October 21, 1971) was an American film actor who appeared in almost 500 motion pictures. Biography Hatton was born in Red Oak, Iowa. His physician father steered him toward a career in medicine. Howev ...

). They are interrupted by Karl, who also gives her a present, and they compete for Angela's favor. Karl is unexpectedly summoned to

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

to join his regiment, and Angela is crushed when he announces he has to leave. The next day, Angela reads in the paper the Germans and French are at war and 10,000 Germans have been killed already. Three months pass by without a word from Karl. Angela is requested by her aunt in France to visit and take her to the USA. Word spreads that Germany will sink any ship which is thought to be carrying munitions to the Allies. Angela is aboard one of those ships when it is torpedoed, and saves herself by climbing onto a floating table, begging the attackers not to fire on the passengers. She is eventually rescued. After weeks of ceaseless hammering from the German guns, the French fall back on Vangy, the home of Angela's aunt. At the same time, Angela arrives at Chateau Vangy to visit her aunt, only to discover she has died. The

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...

ns are bombing the city and Angela is requested to flee. However, she is determined to stay to nurse the French wounded soldiers. A French soldier tries to help Angela escape, but she is unwilling to. He next asks her to let a French soldier spy on the Germans and inform the French via a secret hidden telephone. Angela is afraid, but gives them permission. The Germans attack the chateau and the remaining French soldier is killed. German soldiers enter the chateau with the intention of getting drunk and enjoying themselves with the women who work there. After discovering the other young women, the Germans are intent on also raping Angela, who is the only person in the mansion not to be hidden. To save herself, she reveals herself to be a neutral American, but they are not interested in her nationality. Angela attempts to run away and hide, but is discovered by a German soldier who turns out to be Karl. Angela begs him to save the other women in the house, but Karl responds he cannot give orders to his superior officer, who says his men deserve their 'relaxation'. She realizes there is nothing she can do. With permission to leave the mansion, she witnesses the execution of French civilians. She is heartbroken and decides to go back for revenge. Angela secretly calls the French with the hidden telephone and describes three gun positions near the chateau. The French prepare themselves and attack the Germans. The Germans realize someone is giving the French information and Karl catches Angela. He tries to help her escape, but they are caught. The commander orders that Angela be shot as a spy. When Karl tries to save her, he is sentenced to be executed for treason. As the couple face death, the French shell the chateau, enabling Angela and Karl to escape. They are too weak to run and collapse near a statue of

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...

in the ruins of a church. The next day, they are found by French soldiers. They initially want to shoot Karl, but Angela begs their commander, Count De Destin, to set him free. They eventually allow her to return to America with Karl by her side.

Cast

as Angela More * Jack Holt as Karl Von Austreim *

as Count Jules De Destin *

Hobart Bosworth Hobart Van Zandt Bosworth (August 11, 1867 – December 30, 1943) was an American film actor, director, writer, and producer. Early life Bosworth was born on August 11, 1867, in Marietta, Ohio. His father was a sea captain in the Civil W ...

as German Colonel * Walter Long as German Captain * James Neill as Senator John More * Ben Alexander as Bobby More * Guy Oliver as Frederick Von Austreim *

Edythe Chapman Edythe Chapman (October 8, 1863 – October 15, 1948) was an American stage and silent film actress. Career Born in Rochester, New York, Chapman began her stage career as early as 1898 when she appeared in New York City in ''The Charity Bal ...

as Mrs. Von Austreim * Lillian Leighton as Angela's Great Aunt *

DeWitt Jennings DeWitt Clarke Jennings (June 21, 1871 – March 1, 1937) was an American film and stage actor. He appeared in 17 Broadway plays between 1906 and 1920, and in more than 150 films between 1915 and 1937. Biography He was born in Cameron, Misso ...

as English Barrister *

Wallace Beery Wallace Fitzgerald Beery (April 1, 1885 – April 15, 1949) was an American film and stage actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Bill in '' Min and Bill'' (1930) opposite Marie Dressler, as General Director Preysing in '' Grand Hotel'' ( ...

as German soldier (uncredited) *

Gordon Griffith Gordon S. Griffith (July 4, 1907 – October 12, 1958) was an American assistant director, film producer, and one of the first child actors in the American movie industry. Griffith worked in the film industry for five decades, acting in ov ...

as Child (uncredited) *

Ramon Novarro José Ramón Gil Samaniego (February 6, 1899 – October 30, 1968), known professionally as Ramon Novarro, was a Mexican-American actor. He began his career in silent films in 1917 and eventually became a leading man and one of the top box ...

as Wounded Soldier (uncredited) * Colleen Moore as Nurse (uncredited) *

Norman Kerry Norman Kerry (born Norman Hussey Kaiser,"United States World War II Draft Registration Cards,registration for Norman Hussey Kaiser, Los Angeles, California, April 27, 1942 This document lists his full name as Norman Hussey Kaiser, noting the na ...

as Wounded Soldier (uncredited) *

Sam Wood Samuel Grosvenor Wood (July 10, 1883 – September 22, 1949) was an American film director and producer who is best known for having directed such Hollywood hits as '' A Night at the Opera'', '' A Day at the Races'', '' Goodbye, Mr. Chips'', '' ...

as Wounded Soldier (uncredited)

Reception

Although the United States had entered World War I and declared war on Germany earlier in 1917, the Chicago Board of Censors initially blocked exhibition of the film in that city, calling it anti-German and suggesting that showing it could start a riot. Artcraft challenged the Board in state court and, after a jury trial, the refusal of the board to issue a permit despite a court order, and the denial of a second appeal by the board, won the right to show the film in Chicago.

References

External links

* *
Stills
at moviessilently.com * {{DEFAULTSORT:Little American, The 1917 films 1917 romantic drama films American romantic drama films American silent feature films American war drama films American black-and-white films Films directed by Cecil B. DeMille Films directed by Joseph Levering Films set in 1914 Articles containing video clips American World War I films 1910s American films Silent romantic drama films Silent war films Silent American drama films

Plot

Cast

Reception

See also

References

External links