Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersIndependent Spirit AwardsWomen's History MonthSXSWSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Big Parade

  • 19251925
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 2h 31m
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
7K
YOUR RATING
The Big Parade (1925)
A young American soldier witnesses the horrors of the Great War.
Play trailer2:26
1 Video
79 Photos
DramaRomanceWar
A young American soldier witnesses the horrors of the Great War.A young American soldier witnesses the horrors of the Great War.A young American soldier witnesses the horrors of the Great War.
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
7K
YOUR RATING
  • Directors
    • King Vidor
    • George W. Hill(uncredited)
  • Writers
    • Laurence Stallings(story)
    • Harry Behn(scenario)
    • Joseph Farnham(titles)
  • Stars
    • John Gilbert
    • Renée Adorée
    • Hobart Bosworth
  • Directors
    • King Vidor
    • George W. Hill(uncredited)
  • Writers
    • Laurence Stallings(story)
    • Harry Behn(scenario)
    • Joseph Farnham(titles)
  • Stars
    • John Gilbert
    • Renée Adorée
    • Hobart Bosworth
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 63User reviews
    • 56Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:26
    Watch Trailer

    Photos79

    Renée Adorée and John Gilbert in The Big Parade (1925)
    Renée Adorée and John Gilbert in The Big Parade (1925)
    Renée Adorée and John Gilbert in The Big Parade (1925)
    Karl Dane and Tom O'Brien in The Big Parade (1925)
    Claire Adams, Renée Adorée, John Gilbert, and Robert Ober in The Big Parade (1925)
    The Big Parade (1925)
    Hobart Bosworth and John Gilbert in The Big Parade (1925)
    John Gilbert and Claire McDowell in The Big Parade (1925)
    The Big Parade (1925)
    John Gilbert and Claire McDowell in The Big Parade (1925)
    Claire Adams, Hobart Bosworth, John Gilbert, Claire McDowell, and Robert Ober in The Big Parade (1925)
    Hobart Bosworth and John Gilbert in The Big Parade (1925)

    Top cast

    Edit
    John Gilbert
    John Gilbert
    • James Apperson
    Renée Adorée
    Renée Adorée
    • Melisande
    • (as Renee Adoree)
    Hobart Bosworth
    Hobart Bosworth
    • Mr. Apperson
    Claire McDowell
    Claire McDowell
    • Mrs. Apperson
    Claire Adams
    Claire Adams
    • Justyn Reed
    Robert Ober
    Robert Ober
    • Harry
    Tom O'Brien
    • Bull
    Karl Dane
    Karl Dane
    • Slim
    Rosita Marstini
    Rosita Marstini
    • French Mother
    Arthur H. Allen
    • Dying German
    • (uncredited)
    George Beranger
    George Beranger
    • Undetermined Minor Role
    • (uncredited)
    Harry Crocker
    • Doughboy
    • (uncredited)
    Julanne Johnston
    Julanne Johnston
    • Justine Devereux
    • (uncredited)
    Kathleen Key
    Kathleen Key
    • Miss Apperson
    • (uncredited)
    Dan Mason
    Dan Mason
    • Undetermined Minor Role
    • (uncredited)
    Carl 'Major' Roup
    Carl 'Major' Roup
    • Doughboy
    • (uncredited)
    Carl Voss
    • Officer
    • (uncredited)
    • Directors
      • King Vidor
      • George W. Hill(uncredited)
    • Writers
      • Laurence Stallings(story) (screenplay)
      • Harry Behn(scenario)
      • Joseph Farnham(titles)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    The Crowd
    8.1
    The Crowd
    Flesh and the Devil
    7.6
    Flesh and the Devil
    Greed
    8.1
    Greed
    The Docks of New York
    7.5
    The Docks of New York
    The Unknown
    7.7
    The Unknown
    Stachka
    7.6
    Stachka
    Way Down East
    7.4
    Way Down East
    Orphans of the Storm
    7.3
    Orphans of the Storm
    Downstairs
    7.0
    Downstairs
    Love
    6.9
    Love
    The Wheel
    7.5
    The Wheel
    Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
    7.8
    Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The famous scene in which Jim (John Gilbert) teaches Melisande (Renée Adorée) to chew gum was improvised on the spot during filming. Director King Vidor observed a crew member chewing gum and later recalled, "Here was my inspiration. French girls didn't chew or understand gum; American doughboys did...Gilbert's efforts to explain would endear him to her and she would kiss him...[It was] one of the best love scenes I ever directed." Gilbert also claimed that neither he nor Vidor expected Adorée to swallow the gum, which proved to be the scene's comic highlight.
    • Goofs
      When Jim is getting dressed in the hayloft for his date, Slim jokingly refers to him as "Mr. Hemingway". When the film was being made in 1924-25 Ernest Hemingway was becoming famous, but in the movie's time frame of 1917, he was still unknown.
    • Quotes

      Bull: [Having - along with Slim - broken into the wine cellar under the farmhouse, where together they imbibe lots of wine] Can you imagine? Some guys was saps enough to join the Navy!

    • Crazy credits
      Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer gratefully acknowledges the splendid co-operation of the Second Division, United States Army and Air Service Units, Kelly Field.
    • Connections
      Edited into Marianne (1929)

    User reviews63

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    The Superb John Gilbert
    One of the great films of all time. John Gilbert stars as a callow lad from a wealthy family who joins up at the start of World War I. The film follows him through his early days in the army, his days in rural France, and then his time at the front, and finally his return home.

    King Vidor directs this amazing film, one of the best war films ever made, with touches of humor and irony, but never losing sight of the horrors and stupidity of war.

    John Gilbert would have won the Oscar for 1925 if the awards had started then. He's simply superb as Jack. You watch his eyes as this films goes on. In the beginning his eyes twinkle with glee and delight as he makes friends, finds love, and grows into manhood. Then his eyes change and go dead as he experiences war. This is one of the great silent film performances.

    But the film also boasts great work from Renee Adoree as Melisande and Karl Dane as the Swede. Co-stars are Tom O'Brien as Bull, Hobart Bosworth and Claire McDowell as the parents.

    The TCM copy I have has a incredible score by Carl Davis. There is one scene when Gilbert is off to the front and he can't find Adoree. The music is a discordant mishmash of previously heard tunes, and the music grows louder and louder until they find each other. The scene that follows is heartbreaking and unforgettable.

    But this film is full of great scenes, including the one where Gilbert teaches Adoree to chew gum. So simple yet so charming. Then there's the shower scene where Gilbert has gotten a wine barrel (hilarious) so the guys can have a shower.

    There is a great title card that reads simple: IT HAD BEGUN..... So few words and yet so full of meaning. The battle images are among the best and bring the full horror of war home. Vidor assembles amazing scenes of men marching in line to death, of men trapped in shell holes, of planes swooping over the bombed-out fields. This is an incredible movie.

    TCM host Robert Osborne mentions that THE BIG PARADE played for an astounding 95 consecutive weeks in New York and that it rivalled THE BIRTH OF A NATION and GONE WITH THE WIND as the biggest money-making film of all time. This is the film that, along with THE MERRY WIDOW, made John Gilbert the king of Hollywood in 1925. And his crown was well deserved; he is magnificent.
    helpful•54
    9
    • drednm
    • Nov 3, 2007

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 3, 1925 (Belgium)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • None
    • Also known as
      • Den stora paraden
    • Filming locations
      • Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA(Belleau Wood)
    • Production company
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $245,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 31 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Silent
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    The Big Parade (1925)
    Top Gap
    By what name was The Big Parade (1925) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.