The Little American (1917)

A young American has her ship torpedoed by a German U-boat but makes it back to ancestral home in France, where she witnesses German brutality firsthand.

Directors:

Cecil B. DeMille (uncredited), Joseph Levering (uncredited)

Writer:

Jeanie Macpherson (by)

Stars:

Mary Pickford, Jack Holt, Raymond Hatton

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Mary Pickford	...	Angela Moore
Jack Holt	...	Karl von Austreim
Raymond Hatton	...	Count Jules de Destin
Hobart Bosworth	...	German Colonel
Walter Long	...	German Captain
James Neill	...	Senator John Moore
Ben Alexander	...	Bobby Moore
Guy Oliver	...	Frederick von Austreim
Edythe Chapman	...	Mrs. von Austreim
Lillian Leighton	...	Angela's Great Aunt
DeWitt Jennings	...	English Barrister

Storyline

German-American Karl and French-American Jules are in love with Angela when each returns to his country as war breaks out. She sails for France and while there is nearly raped by Karl as the Germans invade. She is later arrested for sending secret messages to Jules but Karl defends her. Both are saved from execution by the arrival of the French forces and Count Jules

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Plot Keywords:

france | u boat | prussian | ocean liner | chateau | 

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Taglines:

The silent sufferers.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film debut of Ramon Novarro.

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Goofs

When Angela is returning to her bedroom after taking of the German commander's boots, the shot of her approaching the door is shown twice.

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Quotes

Angela Moore: I was neutral - till I saw your soldiers destroying women and shooting old men! Then I stopped being "neutral" and became a human being!

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Alternate Versions

The George Eastman House version in their Motion Picture Study Collection has an uncredited piano score and runs 76 minutes.

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Connections

Featured in The House That Shadows Built (1931)

User Reviews

"I stopped being neutral and became a human being!"

With the US having recently entered the First World War, the country's best known and most popular director teamed with its most beloved actress to fire a cinematic salvo in this flag-waving adventure.

In style this is something of a departure for DeMille. He more or less abandons his use of long takes, painterly shot compositions and predominantly visual narrative, in favour of rapid editing and lots of expository intertitles. Of course this is purely pragmatic – it keeps the story moving along quickly and injects some excitement and tension into what is after all a propaganda piece. The heavier than usual use of intertitles also leaves no ambiguity about plot or character intention. Some of these editing patterns are quite effective – for example, the crosscutting used when the ocean liner is torpedoed. However fans of DeMille's early silents will probably find themselves missing the more considered approach they will be familiar with. This is certainly one of his least graceful films.

The fact that The Little American is more action-centred means it is less acting centred – there is not the same concentration on performance that you normally get with DeMille. For this reason this is not a particularly memorable role for Mary Pickford, and to be fair almost any actress could have played the part equally well. However the casting of Pickford would have been symbolic and psychologically effective at the time. Although the press had not yet labelled her America's sweetheart, she certainly occupied that position. Therefore DeMille did not have to go out of his way to endear the audience to the character of Angela Moore, because they had already formed an emotional attachment to Mary Pickford.

Regardless of how effective this picture was in its day it is really quite a mediocre effort when taken out of context. One interesting point though – the one scene in The Little American that really looks like the typical DeMille is the one in which Pickford and Holt take refuge in a ruined church below the effigy of Christ on the cross. Throughout the picture the stars and stripes is treated with the same reverence and significance DeMille might give to a crucifix. This picture is another small step towards the iconic imagery and preachiness that would characterise his work from the twenties onwards.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

None English

Release Date:

12 July 1917 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Pequena Americana

Filming Locations:

2000 De Mille Drive Los Feliz, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$166,949 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mary Pickford Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1