The Heart of Humanity | |
---|---|
Directed by | Allen Holubar |
Screenplay by | Allen Holubar Olga Scholl |
Story by | Allen Holubar Olga Scholl |
Produced by | Carl Laemmle |
Starring | Dorothy Phillips William Stowell Erich von Stroheim |
Cinematography | Fred LeRoy Granville |
Edited by | Frank Lawrence |
Production company | A Jewel Production |
Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 110 minutes |
Country | United States |
Languages | Silent English intertitles |
The Heart of Humanity is a 1918 American silent war propaganda film produced by Universal Pictures and directed by Allen Holubar. The film stars Dorothy Phillips, William Stowell, and Erich von Stroheim.
The film "follows the general theme and construction of the D. W. Griffith film Hearts of the World and, in places, parallels [its] plot". [1] The film was made toward the end of World War I and is known for showcasing von Stroheim as a lecherous 'Hun'.
Nanette (Dorothy Phillips), an American girl living in a small Canadian village, is in love with John Patricia (William Stowell), the eldest of five brothers. The war interrupts their romantic idyll, as everyone goes overseas to Belgium and France. Nanette becomes a Red Cross nurse and is terrorized by the evil Prussian Lt. von Eberhard (Erich von Stroheim). It is up to John to save her from the Hun's advances.
The New York Times criticized the "theatricalities and sentimental artificialities of his plot" but characterized "some of [Holubar]'s battle panoramas [as] among the most comprehensive and vivid ever reproduced on the screen." [1] It pointed out that "children add to the charm and effectiveness of some of the scenes, and their costumes and acting reveal that intelligence and care in direction elsewhere evident in the production. One receives the impression, however, that the making of a few of the scenes in which the children appear was not very good for the children." [1]
A copy of the film is preserved at the EmGee Film Library and in private collections. [2] It was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in 2014. [3]
Erich Oswald Hans Carl Maria von Stroheim was an Austrian-American director, screenwriter, actor, and producer, most noted as a film star and avant-garde, visionary director of the silent era. His 1924 film Greed is considered one of the finest and most important films ever made. After clashes with Hollywood studio bosses over budget and workers' rights problems, Stroheim found it difficult to find work as a director and subsequently became a well-respected character actor, particularly in French cinema.
Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney was an American actor. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often grotesque and afflicted characters, and his groundbreaking artistry with makeup. Chaney was known for his starring roles in such silent horror films as The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) and The Phantom of the Opera (1925). His ability to transform himself using makeup techniques that he developed earned him the nickname "The Man of a Thousand Faces".
Hollywood is a multi-BAFTA award winning 1980 documentary series produced by Thames Television which explored the establishment and development of the Hollywood studios and their impact on 1920s culture. At the 1981 BAFTA television awards, it won Best Factual Series, Best Film Editing and Best Graphics.
Hearts of the World is a 1918 American silent World War I propaganda film written, produced and directed by D. W. Griffith. In an effort to change the American public's neutral stance regarding the war, the British government contacted Griffith due to his stature and reputation for dramatic filmmaking.
William Stowell was an American silent film actor.
Dorothy Phillips was an American stage and film actress. She is known for her emotional performances in melodramas, having played a number of "brow beaten" women on screen, but had a pleasant demeanor off. She garnered little press for anything outside of her work.
The Merry Widow is a 1925 American silent romantic drama/black comedy film directed and written by Erich von Stroheim. Released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the film stars Mae Murray, John Gilbert, Roy D'Arcy, and Tully Marshall, with pre-fame uncredited appearances by Joan Crawford and Clark Gable.
Merry-Go-Round is a 1923 American feature film directed by Erich von Stroheim (uncredited) and Rupert Julian, starring Norman Kerry and Mary Philbin, and released by Universal Pictures. A copy of the film is held in a collection and it has been released on DVD.
The Rescue is a 1917 American silent drama film written and directed by Ida May Park and starring Lon Chaney, William Stowell and Dorothy Phillips. The screenplay was based on a story by Hugh McNair Kahler. The film is today considered lost. A photo exists showing Lon Chaney in his role as Thomas Holland, a rare occasion when Chaney did not play a villain.
The Talk of the Town is a 1918 American silent comedy film directed by Allen Holubar and featuring Lon Chaney, William Stowell and Dorothy Phillips. The screenplay was written by Allen Holubar, based on the novelette "Discipline of Genevra" by Harold Vickers. Talk of the Town is considered a lost film.
Allen Holubar was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter of the silent film era. He appeared in 38 films between 1913 and 1917. He also directed 33 films between 1916 and 1923.
Blind Husbands is a 1919 American drama film written and directed by Erich von Stroheim. The film is an adaptation of the story The Pinnacle by Stroheim.
Three Faces East is a 1930 American Pre-Code film directed by Roy Del Ruth and starring Constance Bennett and Erich von Stroheim. Produced by Daryl Zanuck and released by Warner Brothers it is based on a 1918 Broadway play about World War I spies, Three Faces East, by Anthony Paul Kelly. It was filmed as a silent in 1926. A later remake in 1940 starred Boris Karloff and Margaret Lindsay was titled British Intelligence.
To Hell with the Kaiser! is a lost 1918 American silent Great War propaganda comedy film produced by Screen Classics Productions and distributed by Metro Pictures. It was directed by George Irving and starred Lawrence Grant as the Kaiser.
Paid in Advance is a 1919 American silent drama film set during the Alaska Gold Rush, from the story The Girl Who Dared by James Oliver Curwood. The film was directed by Allen Holubar, who wrote the screen adaption as well. The movie stars Dorothy Phillips, Joseph W. Girard, Lon Chaney, and Priscilla Dean.
The Hun Within is a 1918 American silent war drama thriller film directed by Chester Withey and starring Dorothy Gish and George Fawcett. It was written by historic Biograph directors D. W. Griffith and Stanner E. V. Taylor.
Slander the Woman is a 1923 American drama film directed by Allen Holubar and written by Violet Clark. The film stars Dorothy Phillips, Lewis Dayton, Robert Anderson, Mayme Kelso, George Siegmann, and Ynez Seabury. The film was released on April 16, 1923, by Associated First National Pictures.
Huns within our gates (1918) is a silent World War I propaganda film, starring Derwent Hall Caine and Valda Valkyrien. Produced by the Arrow Film Corporation, the cast, characters and plot were used in The Crusher (1917). After being re-edited the film was re-released as Commercial Pirates in March 1919. Also known as The Hearts of Men.
Grant Whytock was an American film editor and producer who worked on more than 80 films over the course of his career.
A Soul for Sale is a 1918 American silent drama film directed by Allen Holubar and starring Dorothy Phillips, Katherine Kirkwood and Alan Roscoe. Prints and/or fragments were found in the Dawson Film Find in 1978.