''Hearts of the World'' (also known as ''Love's Struggle'') is a 1918 American silent

melodrama A melodrama is a Drama, dramatic work in which plot, typically sensationalized for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodrama is "an exaggerated version of drama". Melodramas typically concentrate on ...

and

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

propaganda film A propaganda film is a film that involves some form of propaganda. Propaganda films spread and promote certain ideas that are usually religious, political, or cultural in nature. A propaganda film is made with the intent that the viewer will ad ...

written, produced and 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 ...

. In an effort to change the American public's neutral stance regarding the war, the

British government His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

contacted Griffith due to his stature and reputation for dramatic filmmaking. ''Hearts of the World'' stars Lillian and

Dorothy Gish Dorothy Elizabeth Gish (March 11, 1898June 4, 1968) was an American stage and screen actress. Dorothy and her older sister Lillian Gish were major movie stars of the silent era. Dorothy also had great success on the stage, and was inducted int ...

and

Robert Harron Robert Emmett Harron (April 12, 1893 – September 5, 1920) was an American motion picture actor of the early silent film era. Although he acted in over 200 films, he is possibly best recalled for his roles in the D.W. Griffith directed fil ...

. The film was produced by D.W. Griffith Productions,

Famous Players–Lasky Corporation Famous may refer to: Companies * Famous Brands, a South African restaurant franchisor * Famous Footwear, an American retail store chain * Famous Music, the music publishing division of Paramount Pictures * Famous Studios, the animation division ...

and the War Office Committee was distributed by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

under the Artcraft Pictures Corporation banner.

Plot

Two families live next to one another in a French village on the eve of

. The Boy in one of the families falls for the only daughter in the other family. As they make preparations for marriage, World War I breaks out, and, although the Boy is American, he feels he should fight for the country in which he lives. When the French retreat, the village is shelled. The Boy's father and the Girl's mother and grandfather are killed. The Girl, deranged, wanders aimlessly through the battlefield and comes upon the Boy badly wounded and unconscious. She finds her way back to the village where she is nursed back to health by The Little Disturber who had previously been a rival for the Boy's affections. The Boy is carried off by the Red Cross. Von Strohm, a German officer, lusts after the Girl and attempts to rape her, but she narrowly escapes when he is called away by his commanding officer. Upon his recovery, the Boy, disguised as a German officer, infiltrates the enemy-occupied village, finds the Girl. The two of them are forced to kill a German sergeant who discovers them. Von Strohm finds the dead sergeant and locates the Boy and Girl who are locked in an upper room at the inn. It is a race against time with the Germans trying to break the door down as the French return to retake the village.

Cast

Production notes

The British Government gave D.W. Griffith unprecedented access to film in locations that were otherwise forbidden to journalists. After being presented to

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. George w ...

and Queen Mary, Griffith was introduced to members of London's aristocracy who agreed to appear in the film. Among them were

Lady Lavery Hazel Lavery, Lady Lavery (née Martyn; 1880–1935) was an American painter and the second wife of portrait artist Sir John Lavery. Famed for her beauty, Lavery's likeness appeared on banknotes of Ireland for much of the 20th century.Sinead Mc ...

Elizabeth Asquith Elizabeth, Princess Bibesco (born Elizabeth Charlotte Lucy Asquith; 26 February 1897 – 7 April 1945) was an English socialite, actress and writer between 1921 and 1940. She was the daughter of H. H. Asquith, the British Prime Minister, and th ...

Diana Manners Diana Cooper, Viscountess Norwich (née Lady Diana Olivia Winifred Maud Manners; 29 August 1892 – 16 June 1986) was an English silent film actress and aristocrat who was a well-known social figure in London and Paris. As a young woman, she ...

. Playwright

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time (magazine), Time'' called "a sense of personal style, a combination of c ...

also appeared as an extra. Exterior shots were largely filmed throughout England from May to October 1917. Griffith made two trips to

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

where he filmed footage of the

trenches A trench is a type of excavation or depression in the ground that is generally deeper than it is wide (as opposed to a swale or a bar ditch), and narrow compared with its length (as opposed to a simple hole or pit). In geology, trenches res ...

. In one instance Griffith and his film crew were forced to take cover when their location came under German artillery fire; he escaped unscathed. The film company returned to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

where British and Canadian troops recreated battle scenes and other interior scenes on a stage at Fine Arts Studio in

from November to December 1917. The scenes shot in Europe and Los Angeles were edited together with footage from stock

newsreels A newsreel is a form of short documentary film, containing news stories and items of topical interest, that was prevalent between the 1910s and the mid 1970s. Typically presented in a cinema, newsreels were a source of current affairs, info ...

. In a scene cut from the movie, actress

Colleen Moore Colleen Moore (born Kathleen Morrison; August 19, 1899 – January 25, 1988) was an American film actress who began her career during the silent film era. Moore became one of the most fashionable (and highly-paid) stars of the era and helped po ...

appeared as a little girl in her bed who, hearing the war raging beyond her window, was so frightened that she turned the hands of her alarm clock forward, hoping that time would rush forward to the end of the fighting.

Reception

Lillian Gish, the actress who portrayed "The Girl", later said: She also noted that: Some historians have also noted that ''Hearts of the World'' and similar films encouraged a "hysterical hatred" of the enemy which complicated the task of the Versailles peacemakers. Like many American films of the time, ''Hearts of the World'' was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. For example, the Chicago Board of Censors required cuts, in Reel 3, of that part of a bayoneting scene showing closeup of a man's side from which a stream of blood flows, Reel 6, that portion of dancing scene where dancer twirls her skirt and exposes posterior to camera, officer carrying young woman off into other room, six scenes of German officer on floor motioning to young woman to come and lie down beside him, closeup of same German officer reaching up with arms for young woman to come to him, closeup of officer and young woman embracing in bunk, officers forcing young peasant women towards bunks, scene showing young women in bunks with clothing disheveled and hair down and officers walking off and adjusting clothes, and the intertitle "Dungeons of Lust" and scenes of young women lying prostrate following the intertitle. ''Hearts of the World'' is referenced in L. M. Montgomery's novel set during World War I, '' Rilla of Ingleside''. Rilla recalls in her diary,

Status

A print of the film still exists and is held by the Cohen Media Group. The rights are now held in the

public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no Exclusive exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly Waiver, waived, or may be inapplicable. Because no one holds ...

References

External links

* * {{Authority control 1918 films 1918 drama films 1910s American films 1910s English-language films 1910s war drama films American black-and-white films American epic films American silent feature films American World War I films American World War I propaganda films Articles containing video clips Famous Players-Lasky films Films directed by D. W. Griffith Films shot in England Films shot in France Films shot in London Films shot in Los Angeles Paramount Pictures films Silent American war drama films Surviving American silent films English-language war drama films