''Isn't Life Wonderful'' is a 1924 American silent

romantic drama film Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion (emotion), passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typica ...

directed by D. W. Griffith for his company D. W. Griffith Productions, and distributed by

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the studi ...

. It was based on the short story "Isn’t Life Wonderful?" in the 1923 book ''Defeat'' by

Geoffrey Moss Major Geoffrey Cecil Gilbert McNeill-Moss (11 December 1885 – 13 August 1954) was a British soldier and writer, who published under the name Geoffrey Moss. Moss was educated at Rugby and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and was commissio ...

and it was also released under the alternative title ''Dawn''.

Plot

As described in a review in a film magazine, among the thousands of refugees who flocked to Berlin was the family of a Polish professor (Alderson) and the days following the war show them in a terrific struggle for mere existence. They manage to get a place to live but their combined resources and the high prices of food during the Great Inflation result in their only being able to get a potato apiece and for long periods they have to subsist on horse turnips. Despite this, the love of one son, Paul (Hamilton), for his cousin Inga (Dempster) is so great that they determine to overcome all obstacles. Inga works overtime in another place and collects a pitiful supply of things for their new home, while Paul alone builds a little hut and finds a little allotment where he grows enough potatoes to keep him through the winter. All is rosy and they start out to harvest their little crop, but are followed by workmen who temporarily made beasts through their hunger and suffering of their families rob them of all. The world looks black, but Inga rises to the occasion and makes Paul realize that they still have each other, and that after all “Isn’t Life Wonderful.”

Cast

Production

Most of the scenes were filmed in Germany and Austria. Only one was filmed in New York at the studio. The film stars

Carol Dempster Carol Dempster (December 9, 1901 – February 1, 1991) was an American film actress of the silent film era. She appeared in films from 1916 to 1926, working with D. W. Griffith extensively. Early years Born in Duluth, Minnesota, Dempster was ...

and Neil Hamilton. The film was a failure at the box office, and led to Griffith leaving United Artists shortly after its run in theaters.

Reception

The film did receive some positive critical notices at the time, but its stock has risen considerably since; it has for some decades been considered one of Griffith's greatest films.

Legacy

The title of the film was spoofed in the

Charley Chase Charles Joseph Parrott (October 20, 1893 – June 20, 1940), known professionally as Charley Chase, was an American comedian, actor, screenwriter and film director. He worked for many pioneering comedy studios but is chiefly associated with pro ...

comedy ''

Isn't Life Terrible ''Isn't Life Terrible?'' is a 1925 American film starring Charley Chase and featuring Oliver Hardy and Fay Wray. It is the debut of director Leo McCarey. This short is a parody on D. W. Griffith's 1924 drama ''Isn't Life Wonderful'' (1924). Th ...

'' (1925).

Preservation

Prints of ''Isn't Life Wonderful'' are held by the

UCLA Film and Television Archive The UCLA Film & Television Archive is a visual arts organization focused on the preservation, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Also a nonprofit exhibition venue, the archiv ...

Cinematek CINEMATEK (Dutch: Koninklijk Belgisch Filmarchief; French: Cinémathèque royale de Belgique; English: Royal Belgian Film Archive) is a film archive in Brussels, Belgium. The archive was established in 1938 under the name Royal Belgian Film Archi ...

(Brussels, Belgium), Filmoteka Narodowa (Warsaw, Poland),

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

Arhiva Națională de Filme Arhiva Națională de Filme is a film archive located in Bucharest, Romania. It is a member of the Association of European Film Archives and Cinematheques The Association of European Cinematheques (French: Association des Cinémathèques Européenn ...

(Bucharest, Romania),

George Eastman Museum Motion Picture Collection The George Eastman Museum Motion Picture Collection in Rochester, New York comprises about 28,000 titles, including features, shorts, documentaries, newsreels, and experimental moving images. The collection is renowned for its holdings of silent f ...

, and

Danish Film Institute The Danish Film Institute ( da, Det Danske Filminstitut) is the national Danish agency responsible for supporting and encouraging film and cinema culture, and for conserving these in the national interest. Also known as ''Filmhuset'' ("the film h ...

(Copenhagen, Denmark).Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Database: ''Isn't Life Wonderful''
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References

External links

* * * (30 minute abridgement) {{D. W. Griffith 1924 films American silent feature films 1920s English-language films American black-and-white films Films directed by D. W. Griffith 1924 drama films Films set in Germany American drama films Films scored by Louis Silvers 1920s American films Silent American drama films