THE LITTLE AMERICAN was the second of two movies that Mary Pickford and Cecil B. De Mille made together in 1917 (the other was A ROMANCE OF THE REDWOODS). It would be the only time that they would work together. While both films were very successful at the box office, Pickford and De Mille continually clashed over who was in charge of the productions. Both had strong egos and were used to having their way. Mary Pickford was much better known at that time than De Mille and made far more money. However Paramount sided with De Mille and Pickford had to go along which she did not enjoy.
You would never guess that from seeing the movie. At this point in his career, De Mille was still finding his way. This was one of his first big spectacles and it shows that he already knew how to handle large forces. Mary had just finished THE POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL which would wind up type casting her for the rest of her career as the “little girl” character. She was 25 when she made her 2 De Mille pictures and it’s something of a rarity to see her playing her actual age. When LITTLE AMERICAN started shooting, the U. S. was still neutral but soon entered World War I which expanded the scope of the movie.
Mary plays a young American woman with 2 suitors. One is a French American (Raymond Hatton), the other a German American (Jack Holt). This is in July 1914. When the war breaks out a month later, each goes to fight for his respective country. Mary inherits a chateau in France and arrives just in time to have it invaded by German troops including her old suitor. Her French suitor, who has lost an arm, supervises a counter attack. The chateau is bombarded and Mary and her German suitor, who deserts, flee onto the battlefield and hold up in a church. But not for long. Of course Mary is rescued but what about her boyfriend?
It is important to note, from a historical perspective, that World War I was still ongoing when this movie was released. As a result it was designed to be full time propaganda. There is a remarkable scene involving a ship’s sinking which is patterned after the Lusitania which was 2 years earlier. The battle scenes are very realistic and we get a first hand look at some of the full scale war machinery which was then brand new. The Germans are depicted as cold and ruthless while the French are noble but overwhelmed. While it is undeniably heavy-handed, it still manages to be compelling and is well acted by the leads.
The print used for this restoration is a 35 mm copy from De Mille’s original private print and is in very good condition with proper color tints, original title cards, and adjusted running speed. It was done by the UCLA Film & Television Archives under the auspices of the Mary Pickford Foundation. The accompanying score is by Adam Chavez and was newly composed for this release. All other available copies are public domain and are of far lesser quality so beware. This home video release from VCI also comes with the 1912 Biograph short, A LODGING FOR THE NIGHT and an informational booklet.
The Capsule Critic 