''The Prussian Cur'' is a

1918 The ceasefire that effectively ended the World War I, First World War took place on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of this year. Also in this year, the Spanish flu pandemic killed 50–100 million people wor ...

American anti-German silent

propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded l ...

film produced during

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 ...

. Now considered a

lost film A lost film is a feature film, feature or short film in which the original negative or copies are not known to exist in any studio archive, private collection, or public archive. Films can be wholly or partially lost for a number of reasons. ...

, it is notable for telling the story of

the Crucified Soldier "The Crucified Soldier" was a widespread story or myth among the allies of World War 1, describing German soldiers supposedly crucifying an Allied soldier to a barn door or tree somewhere on the Western Front. The victim is typically described ...

. The film's director,

Raoul Walsh Raoul Walsh (born Albert Edward Walsh; March 11, 1887December 31, 1980) was an American film director, actor, founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), and the brother of silent cinema actor George Walsh. He wa ...

, called it his "rottenest picture ever" for its anti-German sentiment, while its star

Miriam Cooper Miriam Cooper (born Marian Cooper; November 7, 1891 – April 12, 1976), also credited Marion Cooper, was an American silent film actress who is best known for her work in early film including ''The Birth of a Nation'' and ''Intolerance'' for D. ...

(Walsh's wife) called it the worst film in which she had ever appeared. The film was shot in

Fort Lee, New Jersey Fort Lee is a Borough (New Jersey), borough at the eastern border of Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, situated along the Hudson River atop The Palisades (Hudson River), The Palisades. As of the 2020 Uni ...

, where

Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

and many other early

film studio A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio) is a major entertainment company that makes films. Today, studios are mostly financing and distribution entities. In addition, they may have their own studio facility or facilities; how ...

s in

America's first motion picture industry Fort Lee is a borough at the eastern border of Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, situated along the Hudson River atop The Palisades. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 40,191, an increase of 4,8 ...

were based at the beginning of the 20th century.

Plot

As luridly described in a

film magazine Film periodicals combine discussion of individual films, genres and directors with in-depth considerations of the medium and the conditions of its production and reception. Their articles contrast with film reviewing in newspapers and magazines whi ...

, the Kaiser has plans to conquer the world while all of the other nations are engaged in peaceful pursuits. The Germans enter France and their

U-boat U-boats are Submarine#Military, naval submarines operated by Germany, including during the World War I, First and Second World Wars. The term is an Anglicization#Loanwords, anglicized form of the German word , a shortening of (), though the G ...

s work like sharks in the sea, and after many insults the RMS ''Lusitania'' is sunk, causing the United States to enter the war. Before Bernstorff (McEwen) leaves the country, he establishes a spy system headed by Otto Goltz (von der Goltz). Under his orders, German agents burn factories, wreck trains, stir up labor troubles, and interfere with American war work. Goltz marries a young American woman and brutally drives her to her death. Her sister finds her in a dying condition and takes her home to die. A young brother goes after Goltz, who is running a nest of spies where bombs are being made. Dick Gregory (Mason), an American soldier, sees Goltz on the street dressed in an officer's uniform on a day when a confidential order was given out that no officer was to wear one. Dick follows him and finds the nest of spies. Under his command the regiment wipes out the nest and Goltz while trying to escape is overtaken by the brother of the young dead woman and is killed. Meanwhile, American forces are pouring into France so fast that the Kaiser sees his dream crumbling and dies like a rat.

Cast

as Rosie O'Grady *

Sidney Mason Sidney Mason (1886–1923) was an American film actor active during the silent era.Langman p.291 He was the father of the actor Sydney Mason. Selected filmography * ''His Neighbor's Wife'' (1913) * '' The Daughter of MacGregor'' (1916) * '' The ...

as Dick Gregory * Captain Horst von der Goltz as Otto Goltz *

Leonora Stewart Leonora or Leonara may refer to: People *Leonora (given name), a feminine given name *Leonora of Castile (disambiguation) *Leonora of England (1162–1216), Queen of Castile and Toledo as wife of Alfonso VIII of Castile * Leonora (singer) (born 19 ...

as Lillian O'Grady * James Marcus as Patrick O'Grady * Pat O'Malley as Jimmie O'Grady *

Walter McEwen Walter A. McEwen, (January 31, 1940 – August 1, 2023) was a lawyer and former Canadian politician, who served in the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island from 1989 to 1996. He was the son of Ted McEwen and Mary Burke and was edu ...

as Count Johann von Bernstorff * William W. Black as Wolff von Eidel * Ralph C. Faulkner as

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...

* Walter M. Lawrence as

Wilhelm II Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 18594 June 1941) was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia from 1888 until Abdication of Wilhelm II, his abdication in 1918, which marked the end of the German Empire as well as th ...

* Charles Reynolds as

Wilhelm I Wilhelm I (Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig; 22 March 1797 – 9 March 1888) was King of Prussia from 1861 and German Emperor from 1871 until his death in 1888. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he was the first head of state of a united Germany. ...

* William Harrison as Crown Prince Frederick * James Hathaway as Field Marshal von Hindenburg * P.C. Hartigan as Admiral von Tirpitz * John E. Franklin as

James W. Gerard James Watson Gerard III (August 25, 1867 – September 6, 1951) was a United States lawyer, diplomat, and justice of the New York Supreme Court. Early life Gerard was born in Geneseo, New York. His father, James Watson Gerard Jr., was a law ...

* John W. Harbon as U.S. Congressman

Reception

Like many American films of the time, ''The Prussian Cur'' was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. For example, the Chicago Board of Censors required cuts, in Reel 1, of the intertitle "Kill the men and save the women for yourselves" and, Reel 8, of a German soldier taking off his coat in a bedroom.

References

Alan Gevinson, ''Within Our Gates''

External links

*

at silentera.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Prussian Cur, The 1918 films 1918 lost films 1910s American films American black-and-white films American silent feature films American World War I propaganda films Cultural depictions of Wilhelm II Cultural depictions of Woodrow Wilson Fox Film films Lost silent American films Lost war films Silent American war films

Plot

Cast

Reception

See also

References

External links