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10 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
But..., 4 July 2002
5/10
Author: boblipton from New York City

This film is largely of technical interest. In the 1920s, two-strip Technicolor -- as opposed to the three-strip variety that became standard in the late 1930s -- was usually used for set pieces within a major movie: the endpieces of Keaton's SEVEN CHANCES, the triumphal march in BEN HUR and the masked ball in PHANTOM OF THE OPERA among the best known. Only a few features were made using two-strip technicolor, most successfully in Douglas Fairbanks Sr.'s THE BLACK PIRATE.

Because of the technical difficulties in shooting in technicolor -- high intensity lights were needed, as well as careful color choices -- the high costs of producing prints -- up to five times that of black and white -- and the fragility of the prints, a technicolor movie in this era was usually noteworthy because of its use of technicolor. That is one problem with this movie.

The other problem with this movie is that it is shot largely as a series of tableaux, little more than still shots of interesting scenes. Film enthusiasts will recognize the use of this technique in Griffith's BIRTH OF A NATION. Given the subject matter, the mythic characters used, the subject of the film and the technical problems described above, THE FLAG becomes little more than a museum piece, a film that is technically fascinating, but of little value as a movie.

This piece has been restored recently, with a new score by Vivek Maddala. Mr. Maddala has done three scores for silent pictures that have been shown on TCM. He uses a lot of atonal flourishes here and I feel the result here overwrought. This may be appropriate, given the other issues and, indeed, the purpose of the film, but there you go. The movie remains an interesting museum piece, but it will never make my list of all-time classics.

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Pretty Good, 26 February 2008
Author: Michael_Elliott from Louisville, KY

Flag, The (1927)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

2-strip Technicolor short from MGM has George Washington (Francis X Bushman) trying to talk Betsy Ross (Enid Bennett) into creating a flag for the country. This was one of several historical shorts MGM made during this period but I believe most of them are now lost. There's nothing overly special about the film but the use of 2-strip Technicolor makes it of interest for film buffs of the silent era. Bushman is pretty good in his role as is Bennett; both of whom have connections to MGM's epic Ben Hur. Bushman of course had a large part in the film but Bennett met and married the director during the making of the film.

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5 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Satisfying Little Film, 4 July 2002
10/10
Author: Ron Oliver (revilorest@juno.com) from Forest Ranch, CA

An MGM Short Subject.

General George Washington asks Betsy Ross in 1776 to design & create THE FLAG to be used by the American forces.

MGM does a most commendable job with this little silent film, combining patriotism & romance. Matinee idol Francis X. Bushman has a properly noble bearing as Washington (his career was about to go on the skids for inadvertently angering Louis B. Mayer). Enid Bennett shows enthusiasm in her role as Miss Ross.

A subplot concerns Washington's judicious dealing with a young British couple (Alice Calhoun & Johnnie Walker) harboring in the Ross home. Notice the sensitive way in which the film handles the pregnancy of Miss Calhoun's character.

The early Technicolor is very appealing to the eye, especially in the scene where Miss Ross points to the twilight heavens to explain her inspiration for the new flag.

The film has been restored and given a splendid new score by Vivek Maddala.

Often overlooked or neglected today, the one and two-reel short subjects were useful to the Studios as important training grounds for new or burgeoning talents, both in front & behind the camera. The dynamics for creating a successful short subject was completely different from that of a feature length film, something akin to writing a topnotch short story rather than a novel. Economical to produce in terms of both budget & schedule and capable of portraying a wide range of material, short subjects were the perfect complement to the Studios' feature films.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
A Silent Patriotic Short - And the oldest film with Bushman I've Seen, 17 January 2008
8/10
Author: theowinthrop from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I saw this short in the last year around July 4th. It is the type of film that is best seen at the time of the more patriotic holidays (either Independence Day, Veteran's Day, Memorial Day, or even flag day - especially as Betsy Ross (Enid Bennett) is a central character. But to me my interest was finally seeing Francis X. Bushman in a silent film. Bushman (in his high point) was a major Hollywood star, but his highpoint was as the villain Messala in the silent classic BEN-HUR (that starred Ramon Navarro). I have seen parts of the chariot race sequence from that film, but nothing else. Otherwise Bushman was a supporting actor who I last saw as a foolish businessman dealing with Frank Gorshin's "The Riddler" on a two part BATMAN episode in the 1960s. So when I watched this I was actually finally seeing Bushman when his name meant something to the film going public. BEN-HUR was made roughly about the same time as this film.

It's a short subject - a reminder of emotional growth and change in our views of other nationalities. As such it actually has a better message than it's time of production would have allowed it - the 1920s (with the rise of anti-Semitism, race riots, the rise of the K.K.K. in the south and mid-west) was a leading period of bigotry in our history. It was in 1924 that the immigration quotas were finally set to prevent further influxes of Eastern and Southern immigrants (read Jews, Russians - supposedly Communists, and Italians - supposedly gangsters) into the country. These quotas were to have deadly effects on European Jews struggling to get away from the Nazis in the late 1930s. But they were very popular - even our labor leaders (like Gompers and William Green) were against unlimited "cheap" labor from Europe undercutting the incomes of American workers. This was also the period when Sacco and Vanzetti would become martyrs to American bigotry in a prejudiced filled criminal trial that people still debate.

Here though the story suggests we can forgive and forget. Bushman is George Washington, and he visits Ross to ask her to sew an official American flag. She is helped by a young female friend (Edith Brandon - played by Alice Calhoun). But Edith has a secret that her friend Betsy is aware of. She married Charles Brandon (Johnny Walker) who is a British soldier. Edith is pregnant and Charles is determined to return to Philadelphia and see his wife give birth.

The story follows how Brandon comes and is hidden by Edith and Betsy. But General Washington notices some odd things at the Ross house, and gradually realizes someone is being hidden. Finally he confronts Betsy and the Brandons, but then he realizes why Brandon is there (it is not a spying mission but a family matter). Washington decides, after listening to Betsy's special pleading, to allow Brandon a special permit to remain with his wife until the baby is born.

The story sounds trite given this description, but it actually builds up from there. Bushman's performance is "overripe" by 2008 standards, but for 1927 it's quite restrained. It is rare to see Washington in a fury, and his confronting an unrepentant Brandon is a sight to see, but he does realize what is important here - and it is not the normal war matters. It helps that the film had early Technicolor (which the creation of the flag requires), as it adds some reality to a story we can't hear the dialog to (one wonders if whether the film would have been made as a talkie had it been shot in 1928 or 1929). And it's conclusion reaffirms national growth of character.

For in the conclusion the audience is reminded that in time the anti-British emotions of the American Revolution's period, and the British anti-French feelings in that same period, dissolved - and that in 1917-1918 the descendants of the three nations fought side by side against a common foe (Wilhelmine Germany). Our last image in the short is of a "Tommy" a "Sammie" and a French Poilu marching in step, rifles at the ready, to face that enemy until they gained final victory together. Perhaps too militaristic today, but for 1927 (with the bigotry I mentioned earlier) it was light years ahead of the time about international friendship.

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2 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
A fine short film of the era, 30 October 2006
Author: artistatrest

The Flag, movie short, was shown at the end of another movie on TCM yesterday... I was about to erase the movie Hairspray when the music by Vivek Mandala made me stop and check out the movie.

I found the film very enjoyable and the music was nice. The music was updated just enough...

I have no problems with this movie!! Shorts like this are important because it shows the thinking of the American people at the time in a way a school book CANNOT! This one way to reach kids and make them realize people are so different now.

The thinking and moires of the time (1927) when this film was made. This is history at its best. We may not agree with the attitudes of 1927, or 1776, but its important to realize we have come very far in some ways, and not in others.

I thought referring to childbirth as the Shadow of the Valley was really funny and shows the thinking of the time. Even in 1927, they are not admitting a woman has sex and can get pregnant. But my greandmother has told me in those days having a baby was a very serious thing and many women died in childbirth. With no antibiotics or ether yet, childbirth was quite frightening.

Even tho were were in a war with them it was obivious from the movie that most of the officers on both sides had no stomach for fighting their countrymen, the British obviously are now our friends, and why shouldn't they be? After all, the country was founded by the British. Europeans came later.

I liked the music and for the time it was made, the color was great. I would give this film a big thumbs up. It ought to be shown every July 4th...

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OK for what it is, 28 November 2008
7/10
Author: Wayne Malin (wwaayynnee51@hotmail.com) from United States

Short (20 minutes) silent film that gives us the (purportedly) true story of how Betsy Ross (Enid Bennett) came to design and sew the American flag. George Washington (Francis X. Bushman) asks her to design it and she sees some vision in the sunset of a red, white and blue flag. Seriously! There's also a subplot with a friend of hers named Edith Brandon (Alice Calhoun) who's staying with her and her husband Charles (Johnnie Walker) who's deserted the Army to be with her.

From other comments her I guess this takes GREAT liberties with actual historical events. I'm no expert on that so I can't say. As a movie it's OK. The acting is a little overdone (especially Calhoun) and the story is pretty trite even at 20 minutes. Also this was shot in early two strip Technicolor. The colors are sometimes very muted (the night time scenes look like black and white) or other times just leap out at you (Bushman's red coat literally jumps off the TV at you). So the flickering colors and slight storyline make this kind of a chore. Historically though it is interesting in terms of movies. I give it a 7.

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2 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
United under a common cause, 5 July 2002
6/10
Author: Jim Tritten from Corrales, NM

Interesting color short that is more about General George Washington catching a British officer who has crossed the battle lines to see his wife. She is a guest of Betsy Ross. I thought there would have been more about the flag and who was for or against it. Washington paroles the British officer thus setting the stage for common military action later in World War I.

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0 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Historical Hooey, 28 September 2008
4/10
Author: wesconnorsehny from Earth

This "story inspired by the tradition of Betsy Ross" is historical fiction. Accordingly, white-wigged Francis X. Bushman (as George Washington) requests seamstress Enid Bennett (as Betsy Ross) to design "The Flag" for the impending United States of America, because the Revolutionary forces fly a confusing assortment of banners. While Mr. Bushman commands the Rebel forces, Ms. Bennett is housing forlorn Alice Calhoun (as Edith Brandon), who has a husband fighting for the opposing Royalists. Noble warrior Johnny Walker (as Charles Brandon) and Bushman's Washington fight a bloodless Revolutionary War like perfect gentlemen. The "enemies" seem to know they will, someday, be World War I allies.

Hollywood hooey most notable for Ray Rennahan's Technicolor photography, and Bushman's appearance.

**** The Flag (10/1/27) Arthur Maude ~ Francis X. Bushman, Enid Bennett, Johnnie Walker

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1 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Well crafted but a bit stuffy and historically inaccurate throughout, 21 July 2006
2/10
Author: planktonrules from Bradenton, Florida

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Please note the ENTIRE title of this short film. It says "A Story Inspired by the Tradition of Betsy Ross" and this important because it is highly doubtful that Betsy Ross made the first "official" US flag. This story was first told well after Miss Ross' death and there is no supporting evidence that she was responsible for it. I am an American History teacher, so this story is one of many that "get my goat" because it spreads myths instead of good history. Now the people who made this film actually acknowledge that it isn't proved, since they say "TRADITION of Betsy Ross"--but how many in the audience really noticed the nuance and thought the film was basically true? Plus, in addition to the idea that she created the first flag, the movie also creates a ridiculous story about her having a British soldier creep into her home to see this British girlfriend--please!!! This film might provide some entertainment, but it is both stuffy and completely fabricated. The only reason you may want to see it is that the two-color Technicolor is interesting to see, plus the version shown on Turner Classic Movies looks more vibrant and realistic than most of the other films I've seen using the same type film. At times, the film didn't just look orange-red and blue-green, but you could actually see hints of other colors.

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2 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
nice one, 11 June 2003
7/10
Author: Kieran Kenney from California

I caught this film one night on Turner Classic Movies and I definately enjoyed it. Actually, it was the last movie of 2002 that I ever saw (it was December and new years came around a day or two later).

Being a big Francis X. Bushman fan (he's also good in the silent Ben Hur), I thought it was inspired casting putting him as George Washington. Unfortunately I don't remember too much else (it was about one A.M. at the time), but the costuming, acting, set design and particularly the color were quite good. There was this whole thing about a guy who has to hide in the attic of a main female character. Was it Betsy Ross? Must have been. I like Enid Bennet, and I wish I could remember her performance better. I'd like the chance to see this film again sometime. As far as patriotic, technically-experimentative short films go, this one ranks pretty high for effort and delivery.

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