America (1924 film)

Last updated

America
America (1924) D. W. Griffith poster.jpg
Directed by D. W. Griffith
Written byRobert W. Chambers
Produced byD. W. Griffith
Starring Carol Dempster
Neil Hamilton
Lionel Barrymore
Cinematography George Bitzer
Marcel Le Picard
Hendrik Sartov
Harold S. Sintzenich
Edited by James Smith
Rose Smith
Music by Joseph Carl Breil
Adolph Fink
Production
company
D. W. Griffith Productions
Distributed by United Artists
Release date
  • February 21, 1924 (1924-02-21)
Running time
141 minutes
CountryUnited States
Language Silent (English intertitles)
Budget$795,000 [1]
Box office$1,750,000 [1]
The full film

America, also called Love and Sacrifice, is a 1924 American silent historical war romance film. It describes the heroic story of the events during the American Revolutionary War, in which filmmaker D. W. Griffith created a film adaptation of Robert W. Chambers' 1905 novel The Reckoning. The plot mainly centers on the Northern theatre of the war in New York, with romance spliced into individual movie scenes. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Contents

Plot

The story shifts between the viewpoints of Loyalists in Upstate New York and Patriots in Massachusetts and Virginia. Later in the film, in New York, a little-remembered sub-plot takes place. [5] Captain Walter Butler (Lionel Barrymore), a ruthless Loyalist officer, leads the Iroquois in viciously barraging attacks against American settlers, including the massacre of women and children who are siding with the Patriots.

In Lexington, Massachusetts, Nathan Holden (Neil Hamilton) works as an express rider and minuteman for the Boston Committee of Public Safety. At a mission to deliver a dispatch to the Virginia General Assembly, he meets Nancy Montague (Carol Dempster) and falls in love with her, but her father, Justice Montague, (Erville Alderson), a Loyalist judge, is not impressed with the rider. [7] Captain Butler tries unsuccessfully to court Nancy. Nathan and Nancy declare that regardless of which side he fights for, they will always love each other. While visiting in Massachusetts, Justice Montague is accidentally shot by Nathan Holden. Nancy Montague's brother, Charles Montague (Charles Emmett Mack), is influenced by George Washington’s heroism and decides that he wants to support the colonists. However, he dies shortly after being wounded at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Nancy hides the truth from her father when she tells him that her brother died fighting for the Crown.

Nancy and her father travel to Mohawk Valley, New York, to the home of her uncle Ashleigh Montague while Holden visits George Washington (Arthur Dewey) at Valley Forge. He gets sent to New York with Morgan's raiders to settle down the Native American attacks up north. Butler occupies the Montague estate. His men kill Montague's brother and he arrests Montague and takes Nancy prisoner. Holden arrives to spy on Butler and overhears his plans for a massacre attack. He leaves to sound the alarm, reluctantly leaving Nancy behind with Butler. Butler plans to force himself on Nancy, but the Native Americans decide to attack immediately and Butler is compelled to join them. Nancy escapes when Butler leaves for the battle, and she and Montague reach the fort safely before the attack. The attackers mount ruthless attack on the fort, ultimately breaching the walls and killing many settlers. [5] The Morgan's raiders arrive and liberate the fort, saving the lives of Montague and Nancy. A separate group of militia and Native Americans chase down and kill Butler, putting a stop to his plan. [7] Montague believes in Holden's worth, and allows him and Nancy to be together. The film concludes with the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at the Siege of Yorktown in 1781 and the first inauguration of George Washington as president of the United States in 1789.

Cast

Production

In 1923, the Daughters of the American Revolution petitioned Motion Picture Production Association President Will H. Hays to make a historical epic about the American Revolution, and Hays convinced D.W. Griffith to direct the film. Griffith prepared for the film by visiting historic battlefields and meeting with historical societies such as the DAR, the Sons of the Revolution, the Smithsonian Institution, the New York Public Library, the Lexington Historical Society, the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, and the Massachusetts Historical Society. [8]

D. W. Griffith (holding rifle) during filming D.W. Griffith on location, 10-31-23 LOC npcc.09805.jpg
D. W. Griffith (holding rifle) during filming

Casting

Griffith used many popular movie actors at the time, but he felt that there was no need for them to play the roles in his films, and could not afford most of them anyway, after they began to consume nearly all of his money in expensive productions. [5] As a result, Lillian Gish, who acted in a well known film of his, Orphans of the Storm , departed him after he could not pay any more for her services, and left him with Carol Dempster, who had far less appeal than Gish. She showed very little on-camera allure with Neil Hamilton, and only good with reaction scenes and had limited facial expressions. Additionally United States Armed Forces personnel were used as extras.

Filming

Filming took place at Richmond, Virginia and Somers, New York. [9] During the filming of a recreation of the Battle of Bunker Hill at Somers, a 19-year-old soldier's arm was blown off while reloading a cannon. [10] As Charles Emmett Mack recalled, "Neil Hamilton and I went to neighboring towns and raised a fund for him—I doing a song and dance and Neil collecting a coin." [9]

Reception

Box office

The film was screened to President Calvin Coolidge before its release, and the United States Army used it for recruitment purposes. [8] However, America did not receive as large an audience as Griffith's previous films did. It is possible that the director had trouble differentiating between the colonists and British, since they both held origins to Great Britain. The audience is not clearly shown who are the antagonists and the protagonists. In addition, the movie's time frame was not rational. [5] The film's time period made for a very long romance for Nancy and Holden before they could actually be together, since the first scenes were in 1775, but concluded in 1789. Its failure was perplexing, despite heavy promotion, considering Griffith spent over a million dollars on the production.

Criticism

The film's climax was very original and thrilling, as in most other Griffith films, complete with action and exciting stunts in the rescue scenes. However, film critics described the motion picture as lacking in modernity of the time. The movie was unlike the other films of the time, at its original release. [11] The story did not quite fit together as a whole and the order of which scenes were presented in was very confusing to follow, but was rather effective in individual scenes. The usage of title captions was also criticized. [5] There would be a block of text explaining motifs and character relationships rather than having the characters display them through their acting, which is not made clear on screen.

The film was not completely useless to Griffith, but he was still in debt with massive amounts of money and did not receive that boost of attention he was hoping for.

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>The Birth of a Nation</i> 1915 film by D. W. Griffith

The Birth of a Nation, originally called The Clansman, is a 1915 American silent epic drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish. The screenplay is adapted from Thomas Dixon Jr.'s 1905 novel and play The Clansman. Griffith co-wrote the screenplay with Frank E. Woods and produced the film with Harry Aitken.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D. W. Griffith</span> American filmmaker (1875–1948)

David Wark Griffith 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 narrative film.

<i>Attack of the 50 Foot Woman</i> 1958 film

Attack of the 50 Foot Woman is a 1958 independently made American science fiction horror film directed by Nathan H. Juran and starring Allison Hayes, William Hudson and Yvette Vickers. It was produced by Bernard Woolner. The screenplay was written by Mark Hanna, and the original music score was composed by Ronald Stein. The film was distributed in the United States by Allied Artists as a double feature with War of the Satellites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil Hamilton (actor)</span> American actor (1899–1984)

James Neil Hamilton was an American stage, film and television actor, best remembered for his role as Commissioner Gordon on the Batman TV series of the 1960s, having first played a character by that name in 1928's Three Week-Ends. During his motion picture career, which spanned more than a half century, Hamilton performed in over 260 productions in the silent and sound eras.

<i>The Black Cat</i> (1941 film) 1941 film by Albert S. Rogell

The Black Cat is a 1941 American comedy horror and mystery film directed by Albert S. Rogell and starring Basil Rathbone. The film was a stylistic hybrid, inspired by comedy "Old Dark House" films of the era as well as the 1843 short story "The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe. It stars Basil Rathbone as Montague Hartley, the head of a greedy family who await the death of Henrietta Winslow so that they can inherit her fortune. When she is found murdered, an investigation begins into who might be the culprit. Alongside Rathbone and Loftus, the film's cast includes Hugh Herbert, Broderick Crawford, and Bela Lugosi.

<i>While the City Sleeps</i> (1956 film) 1956 film by Fritz Lang

While the City Sleeps is a 1956 American film noir directed by Fritz Lang and starring Dana Andrews, Rhonda Fleming, George Sanders, Howard Duff, Thomas Mitchell, Vincent Price, John Drew Barrymore and Ida Lupino. Written by Casey Robinson, the newspaper drama was based on The Bloody Spur by Charles Einstein, which was inspired by the case of Chicago serial killer William Heirens. Five decades after the film's release, critic Dennis Schwartz wrote, "Fritz Lang ('M') directs his most under-appreciated great film, more a social commentary than a straight crime drama."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helen Mack</span> American actress

Helen Mack was an American actress. She started her career as a child actress in silent films, moving to Broadway plays and touring one of the vaudeville circuits. Her greater success as an actress was as a leading lady in the 1930s. She made the transition to performing on radio and then into writing, directing, and producing shows during the Golden Age of Radio. She later wrote for Broadway, stage and television. Her career spanned the infancy of the motion picture industry, the beginnings of Broadway, the final days of vaudeville, the transition to sound movies, the Golden Age of Radio, and the rise of television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carol Dempster</span> American actress (1901–1991)

Carol Dempster was an American film actress of the silent film era. She appeared in films from 1916 to 1926, working with D. W. Griffith extensively.

<i>The Sorrows of Satan</i> (1926 film) 1926 film

The Sorrows of Satan is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by D. W. Griffith, and based on the 1895 allegorical horror novel The Sorrows of Satan by Marie Corelli.

<i>One Exciting Night</i> (1922 film) 1922 film by D. W. Griffith

One Exciting Night is a 1922 American Gothic silent mystery film directed by D. W. Griffith.

<i>The Assassination of the Duke of Guise</i> 1908 French film

The Assassination of the Duke of Guise (1908) is a French film d'art silent film directed by Charles le Bargy and André Calmettes, adapted by Henri Lavedan, and featuring actors of the Comédie-Française and prominent set designers. It is one of the first films to feature both an original film score, composed by Camille Saint-Saëns, and a screenplay by an eminent screenwriter.

<i>Isnt Life Wonderful</i> 1924 film by D. W. Griffith

Isn't Life Wonderful is a 1924 American silent romantic drama film directed by D. W. Griffith for his company D. W. Griffith Productions, and distributed by United Artists. 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.

<i>Dream Street</i> (film) 1921 film by D. W. Griffith

Dream Street is a 1921 American silent romantic drama film directed by D. W. Griffith, and starring Carol Dempster, Charles Emmett Mack, and Ralph Graves in a story about a love triangle set in London, and based on two short stories by Thomas Burke, "Gina of Chinatown" and "Song of the Lamp". The cast also features Tyrone Power Sr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erville Alderson</span> American actor (1882–1957)

Erville Alderson was an American character actor, usually portraying strong-willed or wise men. He appeared in nearly 200 films between 1918 and 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Emmett Mack</span> American actor

Charles Emmett Mack, was an American film actor during the silent film era. He appeared in seventeen films between 1916 and 1927.

<i>Sally of the Sawdust</i> 1925 film

Sally of the Sawdust is a 1925 American silent comedy film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring W. C. Fields. It was based on the 1923 stage musical Poppy. Fields would later star in a second film version, Poppy (1936).

When the Daltons Rode is a 1940 American Western film directed by George Marshall and starring Randolph Scott, Kay Francis and Brian Donlevy. Based on the 1931 book of the same name by Emmett Dalton, a member of the Dalton Gang, and Jack Jungmeyer Sr., the film also includes a fictional family friend who tries to dissuade the Dalton brothers from becoming outlaws.

<i>The White Rose</i> (1923 film) 1923 film

The White Rose is a 1923 American silent drama film directed by D. W. Griffith. The film was written, produced, and directed by Griffith, and stars Mae Marsh, Ivor Novello, Carol Dempster, and Neil Hamilton. Though this film is extant, it is one of Griffith's rarely seen films.

<i>The Sixth Commandment</i> 1924 film by Christy Cabanne

The Sixth Commandment is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by Christy Cabanne and starring William Faversham.

<i>Cardigan</i> (film) 1922 film

Cardigan is a lost 1922 American silent war film directed by John W. Noble and starring William Collier, Jr. Set in the American Revolutionary War, it was adapted for the screen by Robert William Chambers from his own 1901 novel Cardigan.

References

  1. 1 2 "Griffith's 20 Year Record". Variety. September 5, 1928. p. 12. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  2. ↑ David Wark Griffith; Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1924). Gerrit J. Lloyd (ed.). D.W. Griffith Presents America. D.W. Griffith Inc.
  3. ↑ Guneratne, Anthony R. (2008). Shakespeare, Film Studies, and the Visual Cultures of Modernity (illustrated ed.). Macmillan. p. 16. ISBN   978-1-4039-6788-6.
  4. ↑ Talbot, Daniel (1975). Daniel Talbot (ed.). Film, an Anthology (5 ed.). University of California Press. pp.  342 343. ISBN   978-0-520-01251-6. America, 1924 film.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Silent Film Sources Review". Archived from the original on December 1, 2008. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
  6. ↑ Magill's Survey of Silent Films, Vol. 1 A-FLA, p. 137, edited by Frank N. Magill c. 1982; ISBN   0-89356-240-8 (3 book set; ISBN   0-89356-239-4)
  7. 1 2 "Answers - the Most Trusted Place for Answering Life's Questions". Answers.com .
  8. 1 2 "America". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  9. 1 2 Tildesley, Alice L. (July 1926). "Prop Boy to Star (Continued)". Motion Picture Classic . Chicago: Brewster Publications. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Griffith Fortifies Flood's Hill". The Brewster Standard. Vol. LV, no. 22. October 5, 1923. p. 1. Retrieved March 3, 2023– via NYS Historic Newspapers.
  11. ↑ "Google".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.