Love and Sacrifice (1924)
"America" (original title)

The story of a family caught up in the American Revolutionary War.

Director:

D.W. Griffith

Writers:

Robert W. Chambers (screenplay), Robert W. Chambers (story)

Stars:

Neil Hamilton, Erville Alderson, Carol Dempster

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Neil Hamilton	...	Nathan Holden
Erville Alderson	...	Justice Montague
Carol Dempster	...	Miss Nancy Montague
Charles Emmett Mack	...	Justice Charles Montague
Lee Beggs	...	Samuel Adams
John Dunton	...	John Hancock
Arthur Donaldson	...	King George III
Charles Bennett	...	William Pitt
Downing Clarke	...	Lord Chamberlain
Frank Walsh	...	Thomas Jefferson
Frank McGlynn Jr.	...	Patrick Henry
Arthur Dewey	...	George Washington
P.R. Scammon	...	Richard Henry Lee
Lionel Barrymore	...	Capt. Walter Butler
Sydney Deane	...	Sir Ashley Montague

Storyline

THe first half of the film portrays the struggle of the under-armed, under-manned colonists against the British Redcoats at Lexington, Bunker Hill and Valley Forge. Other landmarks of the American Revolution shown include the Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere's midnight ride and Patrick Henry's (played by Frank McGlyyn Jr. and not played by his father Frank McGlynn Sr) inflammatory speeches to the VIrginia House of Burgesses. The second half dwells on the bloody Indian War of Mohawk Valley. THe parts are tied together by the troubled romance between a young patriot, Nathan Holden (Neal Hamilton (I)' )and Nancy Montague (Carol Dempster), the daughter of a Tory Judge.

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Plot Keywords:

paul revere's midnight ride | indian | judge | father | boston tea party | 

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Taglines:

A Thrilling Story of Love and Romance

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Genres:

Drama | History | War

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Release Date:

21 February 1924 (USA)

Also Known As:

Amerika

Filming Locations:

Old North Church, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

D.W. Griffith Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

141 min 93 min (Killiam Restoration with narration)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film is regarded as major turning point in the career of D.W. Griffith. Its critical and public failure ended Griffith's tenure as the industry's preeminent director.

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Connections

Edited into The Negro Soldier (1944)

User Reviews

Silent History Done Right

Slow but beautifully-mounted story of the American revolution. Griffith's story-telling seems a lot less heavy-handed than in his earlier historical epics and his tableaux work is fully integrated into the action. Lionel Barrymore is an utter swine, Neil Hamilton is poor but dashing and Carol Dempster is.... well, Carol Dempster is most of what is wrong with Griffith in this period, but she doesn't show up often enough to slow the pace and drama.

Note that the trivia for this movie says it came in originally at slightly more than 2 hours when first released, but that no cut exists that runs longer than 90 minutes. However, the dvd release has been presented at a slower fps rate that increases the tension and brings it back to a bit over two hours.

Far better in terms of story-telling than sound versions, such as THE PATRIOT. While not quite in the league of Griffith's best, such as WAY DOWN EAST and BROKEN BLOSSOMS, an excellent way to spend a couple of hours.