''Isn't Life Wonderful'' is a 1924 American silent

romantic drama film Romance films involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion (emotion), passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their ...

directed by

D. W. Griffith David Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 – July 23, 1948) was an American film director. Considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the motion picture, he pioneered many aspects of film editing and expanded the art of the n ...

for his company D. W. Griffith Productions, and distributed by

United Artists United Artists (UA) is an American film production and film distribution, distribution company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, it was founded in February 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, Mary Pickford an ...

. It was based on the short story "Isn’t Life Wonderful?" in the 1923 book ''Defeat'' by Geoffrey Moss, and it was released under the alternative title ''Dawn''.

Plot

As described in a review in a film magazine, among the thousands of refugees who flocked to Berlin was the family of a Polish professor (Alderson) and the days following the war show them in a terrific struggle for mere existence. They manage to get a place to live but their combined resources and the high prices of food during the Great Inflation result in their only being able to get a potato apiece and for long periods they have to subsist on horse turnips. Despite this, the love of one son, Paul (Hamilton), for his cousin Inga (Dempster) is so great that they determine to overcome all obstacles. Inga works overtime in another place and collects a pitiful supply of things for their new home, and Paul builds a little hut and finds a little allotment where he grows enough potatoes to keep him through the winter. All is rosy, and they start to harvest their little crop, but they are followed by workmen who, temporarily made beasts through their hunger and the suffering of their families, rob them of all. The world looks grim, but Inga rises to the occasion and makes Paul realize that they still have each other and that after all, “Isn’t Life Wonderful.”

Cast

Production

Most of the scenes were filmed in Germany and Austria. Only one was filmed in New York at the studio. The film stars

Carol Dempster Carol Dempster (December 9, 1901 – February 1, 1991) was an American film actress of the silent film era. She appeared in films from 1916 to 1926, working with D. W. Griffith extensively. Early years Born in Duluth, Minnesota, Dempster was ...

and Neil Hamilton. The film was a failure at the box office, and it led to Griffith leaving United Artists shortly after its run in theaters.

Reception

The film did receive some positive critical notices at the time, and its stock has risen considerably since its initial release; it has for some decades been considered one of Griffith's great films.

Legacy

The title of the film was spoofed in the

Charley Chase Charles Joseph Parrott (October 20, 1893 – June 20, 1940), known professionally as Charley Chase, was an American comedian, actor, screenwriter and film director. He worked for many pioneering comedy studios but is chiefly associated with pro ...

comedy ''

Isn't Life Terrible? ''Isn't Life Terrible?'' is a 1925 American film starring Charley Chase and featuring Oliver Hardy and Fay Wray. This short is a parody on D. W. Griffith's 1924 drama ''Isn't Life Wonderful'' (1924). The staircase used in this film is the same ...

'' (1925).

Preservation

Prints of ''Isn't Life Wonderful'' are held by the

UCLA Film and Television Archive The UCLA Film & Television Archive is a visual arts organization focused on the film preservation, preservation, film studies, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). As a nonpro ...

Cinematek The Royal Belgian Film Archive (; ) is a cinematheque located in the Centre for Fine Arts, in Brussels, Belgium. It is often referred to as CINEMATEK (a homophone of ). History The cinematheque was established in 1938 as a film archive by H ...

(Brussels, Belgium), Filmoteka Narodowa (Warsaw, Poland),

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...

, Arhiva Națională de Filme (Bucharest, Romania),

George Eastman Museum Motion Picture Collection The George Eastman Museum Motion Picture Collection in Rochester, New York comprises about 28,000 titles, including features, shorts, documentaries, newsreels, and experimental moving images. The collection is renowned for its holdings of silent f ...

, and

Danish Film Institute The Danish Film Institute (; DFI) is the national Danish institution, agency responsible for supporting and encouraging film and cinema culture, and for conserving these in the national interest. It is the successor organisation to the Danish Fil ...

(Copenhagen, Denmark).Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Database: ''Isn't Life Wonderful''
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References

External links

* * (30 minute abridgement) {{D. W. Griffith 1924 films American silent feature films 1920s English-language films American black-and-white films Films directed by D. W. Griffith 1924 drama films Films set in Germany American drama films Films scored by Louis Silvers 1920s American films Silent American drama films English-language drama films Surviving American silent films Articles containing video clips