''Bolshevism on Trial'' is a 1919 American silent

propaganda film A propaganda film is a film that involves some form of propaganda. Propaganda films spread and promote certain ideas that are usually religious, political, or cultural in nature. A propaganda film is made with the intent that the viewer will ad ...

made by the Mayflower Photoplay Company and distributed through Lewis J. Selznick's Select Pictures Corporation. Directed by

Harley Knoles Harry Knoles (1880-1936) was a British film director of the silent era. Selected filmography * ''The Greater Will'' (1915) * '' The Master Hand'' (1915) * '' Bought and Paid For'' (1916) * ''His Brother's Wife'' (1916) * '' The Devil's Toy'' ( ...

from a screenplay by Harry Chandlee, it is based on the 1909 novel '' Comrades: A Story of Social Adventure in California'' by Thomas Dixon, author of the novels '' The Clansman: A Historical Romance of the Ku Klux Klan'' and ''

The Leopard's Spots ''The Leopard's Spots: A Romance of the White Man's Burden—1865–1900'' is the first novel of Thomas Dixon's Reconstruction trilogy, and was followed by '' The Clansman: A Historical Romance of the Ku Klux Klan'' (1905), and '' The Traitor: A ...

'' that served as the basis for ''

The Birth of a Nation ''The Birth of a Nation'', originally called ''The Clansman'', is a 1915 American silent epic drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish. The screenplay is adapted from Thomas Dixon Jr.'s 1905 novel and play ''The Clan ...

''. It premiered in April 1919 during the

First Red Scare The First Red Scare was a period during the early 20th-century history of the United States marked by a widespread fear of far-left movements, including Bolshevism and anarchism, due to real and imagined events; real events included the R ...

Plot

Barbara Bozenta, a wealthy female socialite intent on reforming capitalism is lured into the Socialist cause by Herman Wolff, a Socialist agitator. Her concerned boyfriend Norman Worth, a

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

veteran wounded in combat, hears her lecture on the virtues of international socialism and is converted to her views. Prompted by Herman, she raises money among her wealthy friends to buy Paradise Island off the

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

coast to establish a collective colony, a society of "happiness and plenty." Norman tries to raise money from his father and is rebuffed. His father expects Norman will benefit from the experience: "He'll get his island and a lesson along with it." When the wealthy colonists settled on their island, they elect Norman their "Chief Comrade." They quickly discover that none of them has any worthwhile skills. Most identify themselves as "assistant managers." Faced with disorganization, the colonists replace Norman with Herman, as the activist had long intended. He establishes a

police force The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...

, abolishes marriage, and has the state assume ownership of the women and children. He imprisons Norman, which prompts Barbara's epiphany: "The poor deluded people will starve and die as they are in

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

." She rejects Herman's advances and Norman's father arrives at the head of a

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

fleet to save the day. Norman lowers the red flag and raises the

American flag The national flag of the United States of America, often referred to as the ''American flag'' or the ''U.S. flag'', consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the ca ...

to general cheers.

Primary cast

* Robert Frazer as Captain Norman Worth *

Leslie Stowe Leslie Stowe (November 1867 – July 16, 1949) was an American actor. He appeared on stage and screen. He played the evil Herman Wolff character in ''Bolshevism on Trial''. Anthony Slide praised his performance as the film's villain. Stowe was bo ...

as Herman Wolff *

Howard Truesdale Howard Truesdale (January 3, 1861 – December 8, 1941; also credited as Truesdell, Truedell, and Truesdall) was an American stage actor and a film actor in both the silent and sound eras. He appeared in the films ''A Corner in Cotton'', ''The P ...

as Colonel Worth *

Jim Savage James D. Savage (1817–1852) was a California pioneer. He was a 49er, businessman, American soldier in the Mexican–American War, and commander of the California Militia, Mariposa Battalion in the Mariposa War and the first alleged non- indi ...

as Tom Mooney *

Pinna Nesbit Pinna Nesbit (November 26, 1896 – March 31, 1950) was a Canadian silent film actress. She was married three times and had an affair with King Edward VIII, when he was Prince of Wales. Her first husband, Harley Knoles, directed several of her f ...

as Barbara Bozenta * Ethel Wright as Catherine Wolff *

Valda Valkyrien Valda Valkyrien (born Adele Frede; September 30, 1895 – October 22, 1956) was a Danish silent film actress. Early life and career Born in Reykjavík, Iceland, Valkyrien was born Adele Frede; although she may have been a student at the Royal ...

as Elena Worth *

May Hopkins May is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and is the third of seven months to have a length of 31 days. May is a month of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Therefore, M ...

as Blanche * Chief Standing Bear as Saka * J.G. Davis as Jim

Critical reception

The film was shot in Palm Beach, Florida, under the title ''Shattered Dreams''. The

Royal Poinciana Hotel The Royal Poinciana Hotel was a Gilded Age hotel in Palm Beach, Florida, United States. Developed by Standard Oil founder Henry Flagler and approximately 1,000 workers, the hotel opened on February 11, 1894. As Flagler's first structure ...

was used as a filming location. The film's advertising called it "the timeliest picture ever filmed" and reviews were good. "Powerful, well-knit with indubitably true and biting satire," said '' Photoplay''. As a promotion device, the April 15, 1919, issue of ''

Moving Picture World The ''Moving Picture World'' was an influential early trade journal for the American film industry, from 1907 to 1927. An industry powerhouse at its height, ''Moving Picture World'' frequently reiterated its independence from the film studios. I ...

'' suggested staging a radical demonstration by hanging red flags around town and then have actors in military uniforms storm in to tear them down. Then distribute handbills to the confused and curious crowds assuring them that ''Bolshevism on Trial'' takes a stand against Bolshevism and "you will not only clean up but will profit by future business." When this publicity technique came to the attention of U.S. Secretary of Labor William B. Wilson, he expressed his dismay to the press: "This publication proposes by deceptive methods of advertising to stir every community in the United States into riotous demonstrations for the purpose of making profits for the moving picture business... ." He hoped to ban movies treating Bolshevism and Socialism.Hagedorn, 180

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Hagedorn, Ann, ''Savage Peace: Hope and Fear in America, 1919'' (NY: Simon & Schuster, 2007) * Hanson, Patricia King and Gevinson, Alan, eds., ''The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States'', vol.F1: ''Feature Films, 1911-1920'' (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1988)

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bolshevism On Trial 1919 films American silent feature films Films based on American novels Films based on works by Thomas Dixon Jr. American black-and-white films 1919 drama films Silent American drama films American anti-communist propaganda films Selznick Pictures films Films directed by Harley Knoles Films shot in Florida Films set in Florida 1910s English-language films 1910s American films Red Scare