The Girl Who Stayed at Home (1919)

Story of two brothers who go off to France to fight in World War I, the women who love them and an American expatriate living in France who rallies behind his former country.

Director:

D.W. Griffith

Writers:

D.W. Griffith, Stanner E.V. Taylor (screenplay),

Stars:

Adolph Lestina, Carol Dempster, Frances Parks

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Adolph Lestina	...	Mr. France
Carol Dempster	...	Atoline France
Frances Parks	...	The chum
Richard Barthelmess	...	Ralph Grey
Robert Harron	...	James Grey
Syn De Conde	...	Count de Brissac
George Fawcett	...	Edward Grey
Kate Bruce	...	Mrs. Edward Grey
Edward Peil Sr.	...	Turnverein Terror
Clarine Seymour	...	Cutie Beautiful
Tully Marshall	...	Cutie's old friend
David Butler	...	Johann August Kant
Joseph Scott	...	Himself (as The Hon. Joseph Scott, Head of the Draft Exemption Board)
E.H. Crowder	...	Himself (as Provost Marshal Gen. E.H. Crowder)
General March	...	Himself

Storyline

Story of two brothers who go off to France to fight in World War I, the women who love them and an American expatriate living in France who rallies behind his former country.

---

Plot Keywords:

france | brother | world war one

---

Genres:

Drama | War

---

Details

Country:

USA

Release Date:

23 March 1919 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Garota que Ficou em Casa

Company Credits

Production Co:

D.W. Griffith Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

LESSER KNOWN BUT SIGNIFICANT FILM OF GRIFFITH

D.W. Griffith places his 17-year-old mistress, Carol Dempster, in the leading female role for this somewhat overlooked 1919 film, opposite sturdy Richard Barthelmess, although both are outshined by the secondary leads, Robert Harron and Clarine Seymour, as Griffith is providing his customary surfeit of sub-plots during the telling of a romantic drama concerning the Great War, just concluded at the time of filming. Griffith's systematic skills with flashbacks, montage and editing, along with the as ever creative camerawork of his loyal cinematographer, Billy Bitzer, combine to produce a very tightly-made film, with no loose ends in evidence after its fast-moving 60 minutes. The scenario involves, among so many other elements, the experiences of two brothers, portrayed by Barthelmess and Harron, who are drafted into the United States Army, experience combat in France, each stimulated by a left-behind love affair founded upon, and developing for the most part from, hope alone. A dark aspect of the work stems from the deaths not long after its completion of Harron (a freak gun accident at 27) and Seymour (intestinal illness at 21) with the petite actress who made only a handful of films just having signed a four year contract for two million dollars, an enormous sum at the time; she was that good, and Harron was an actor whose humanity and subtle comic skills were as fine as could be found.