The Big Parade (1925)

A young American soldier witnesses the horrors of the Great War.

Directors:

King Vidor, George W. Hill (uncredited)

Writers:

Laurence Stallings (story), Harry Behn (scenario)

Stars:

John Gilbert, Renée Adorée, Hobart Bosworth

3 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
John Gilbert	...	James Apperson
Renée Adorée	...	Melisande (as Renee Adoree)
Hobart Bosworth	...	Mr. Apperson
Claire McDowell	...	Mrs. Apperson
Claire Adams	...	Justyn Reed
Robert Ober	...	Harry
Tom O'Brien	...	Bull
Karl Dane	...	Slim
Rosita Marstini	...	French Mother

Storyline

The idle son of a rich businessman joins the army when the U.S.A. enters World War One. He is sent to France, where he becomes friends with two working-class soldiers. He also falls in love with a Frenchwoman, but has to leave her to move to the frontline.

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Plot Keywords:

1910s | national film registry | bozo as epithet | blockbuster | year 1917 | 

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Taglines:

Laurence Stallings' great motion picture story following his stage success with "What Price Glory"

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Officially, MGM stated that studio electrician Carl Barlow had died during production when he slipped and fell off a platform. However, what actually happened was that a shelf collapsed above him and he was crushed to death by lighting equipment.

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Goofs

The three future recruits live in New York City (one works construction on a skyscraper, another works a bar in the Bowery), but during the recruitment parade, there are shots of wide avenues lined with low buildings and palm trees - clearly shots of 1920s Los Angeles.

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Quotes

Justyn Reed: Aren't you thrilled that we're going to war?
James Apperson: No.
Justyn Reed: You'll look gorgeous in an officer's uniform! I'll love you more than ever then.

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Crazy Credits

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer gratefully acknowledges the splendid co-operation of the Second Division, United States Army and Air Service Units, Kelly Field.

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Connections

Referenced in Hired Gun (1973)

User Reviews

Outstanding Silent Film

This is one of the best silent movies ever made, and probably the best WWI movie ever made, silent or sound. It's one of the greatest movies I have seen to show how war can turn one man's world upside down, yet not necessarily in a completely negative way as have other films. The direction is superb. The acting is wonderful. In particular, Renee Adoree's character is adorable as the French heroine. In one of the movie's most romantic scenes (and a much parodied one), Renee's character anxiously finds Gilbert, who is in the process of moving on to battle. When they unite, the two almost can't be seperated, even as the cars are moving. It's one of the most emotional scenes ever.

Then there are the battle scenes, which are stellar. The character development is wonderful, as lazy, rich boy Jim joins the war only to please his friends and fiancee. Then, he finds out what war is all about, as well as true love. "Slim" makes a nice comedic supporting character, who again is finally seen in a different light in the face of battle.

One thing I should note, is that the version of this film I saw is the one scored by Carl Davis. I also heard his score for "the Lodger" and thought it was distracting if anything. But this score is an example of the perfect silent score. It actually shows the maximum "potential" of the film. It's always appropriate, is molded to every scene, takes advantage of a modern orchestra while still preserving several stylistic nuances of older films. Kudos to Mr. Davis for a fine score.

Finally, why wasn't there room for this on AFI's 100 list? It's certainly better than "the Jazz Singer" or "Easy Rider", and probably a ton of others on the list. Part of the problem, I realize is that so few people have seen this. There's only about 150 votes so far on this site. This masterpiece should be seen at least once by any serious film lover. A perfect 10!

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

None

Release Date:

1926 (Austria)

Also Known As:

The Big Parade

Filming Locations:

Chapman Ave. Orange, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$245,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

140 min 130 min 128 min (1988 TCM print) 151 min (TCM print)

Sound Mix:

Silent Mono (music and sound effects) (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White (with tinted sequences)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1