''Betsy Ross'' is a surviving 1917 American silent historical film starring

Alice Brady Alice Brady (born Mary Rose Brady; November 2, 1892 – October 28, 1939) was an American actress who began her career in the silent film era and survived the transition into talkies. She worked until six months before her death from cancer in ...

and produced and distributed by her father William A. Brady.

Plot

As described in a film magazine, Betsy Griscome (Brady), against the wishes of her

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...

parents, keeps a tryst with a British officer, Clarence Vernon (Mayo), who promises to marry her upon his return. Clarissa (Cook), her sister, falls in love and marries Joseph Ashburn (Bowers), a trader. Suspecting Vernon of duplicity, Joseph and Vernon fight a duel and Vernon is struck down. A year later Betsy marries John Ross (Kennard), and upon his death she operates a little shop for a living. Here she shields her sister, who was driven from home when she could not produce her marriage certificate. Betsy is commissioned by General Washington (MacQuarrie) to make the first American flag and later is accused of harboring a spy - in reality, her sister's husband. The film ends happily when all relations are explained.

Cast

Betsy Ross Elizabeth Griscom Ross (née Griscom;Addie Guthrie Weaver, ''"The Story of Our Flag..."'', 2nd Edition, A. G. Weaver, publ., 1898, p. 73 January 1, 1752 – January 30, 1836), also known by her second and third married names, Ashburn an ...

* John Bowers as Joseph Ashburn * Lillian Cook as Carissa Griscom *Victor Kennard as John Ross * Eugenie Woodward as Mrs. Ashburn *

Kate Lester Kate Lester (born Sarah Cody, 12 June 1857 – 12 October 1924) was an American theatrical and silent film actress. Her family, the Suydams of New York, were staying in Britain at the time of her birth.Who Was Who on Screen 3rd edition page ...

as Mrs. Vernon * Frank Mayo as Clarence Vernon *

George MacQuarrie George MacQuarrie (born as George Donald MacQuarrie; June 2, 1873 – April 1951), was an American actor of the silent era. Biography MacQuarrie was born in San Francisco, California in 1873 as George Donald MacQuarrie. He appeared in more ...

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

*Justine Cutting as Mrs. Griscom *Robert Forsyth as Samuel Griscom *Nellie Fillmore as Mrs. Bass *Richard Clarke as Lemuel Ketch

Reception

Like many American films of the time, ''Betsy Ross'' was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. The Chicago Board of Censors required cuts of scenes of a sword thrust during the duel, killing of second man in duel, the two intertitles "Scarlet woman" and "Don't you dare kill the Vernon

nigger In the English language, the word ''nigger'' is an ethnic slur used against black people, especially African Americans. Starting in the late 1990s, references to ''nigger'' have been progressively replaced by the euphemism , notably in cases ...

," the scene with a duel vision, and the actual firing of the squad at the execution.

References

Citations

Sources

* *

External links

*
allmovie/synopsis: ''Betsy Ross''Lantern slide; ''Betsy Ross''
* 1917 films American silent feature films American historical films 1910s historical films American black-and-white films World Film Company films American Revolutionary War films Films directed by Travers Vale Betsy Ross Articles containing video clips Censored films 1910s American films Cultural depictions of Betsy Ross {{1910s-US-film-stub