''The Legion of Death'' is a 1918 American

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Tod Browning Tod Browning (born Charles Albert Browning Jr.; July 12, 1880 – October 6, 1962) was an American film director, film actor, screenwriter, vaudeville performer, and carnival sideshow and circus entertainer. He directed a number of films of vari ...

, and released by

Metro Pictures Corporation Metro Pictures Corporation was a motion picture production company founded in early 1915 in Jacksonville, Florida. It was a forerunner of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The company produced its films in New York, Los Angeles, and sometimes at leased fa ...

The Legion of Death (1918, lobby card 2)

Plot

As described in a

film magazine Film periodicals combine discussion of individual films, genres and directors with in-depth considerations of the medium and the conditions of its production and reception. Their articles contrast with film reviewing in newspapers and magazines whi ...

, determined to lay down her life if necessary for her country, Princess Marya (Storey) mobilizes an army of Russian peasant women and is stationed in one of the front line trenches. German forces are about to overrun her battery when American volunteers arrive, and the Germans are dispelled. With autocracy abolished in Russia, Marya consents to become the wife of American Captain Rodney Willard (McCullough).

Cast

* Edith Storey as Princess Marya *

Philo McCullough Philo McCullough (June 16, 1893 – June 5, 1981) was an American actor. He appeared in more than 250 films between 1914 and 1969. He was born in San Bernardino, California, and died in Burbank, California. McCullough's film debut came in 1 ...

as Captain Rodney Willard *

Fred Malatesta Fred Malatesta (April 18, 1889 – April 8, 1952) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 110 films between 1915 and 1941. He was born in Naples, Italy, and died in Burbank, California. Selected filmography * '' Sherlock Hol ...

as Grand Duke Paul * Charles K. Gerrard as Grand Duke Orlof * Pomeroy Cannon as Dmitri * Norma Nichols as Draya * R.O. Pennell as Czar * Grace Aide as Czarina * H.L. Swisher as Kerensky * Francis Marion as Czarevitch * Harry Moody as Makar * Irene Aldwyn * Junior Beckner

Reception

Like many American films of the time, ''The Legion of Death'' was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. For example, the Chicago Board of Censors initially issued a set of required cuts in early March 1918, but the distributor requested a rehearing by the Board. On further review, the Board reduced the cuts to the following: in Reel 1, the slugging of a man, Reel 2, two struggle scenes between German officer and young woman, striking her mother on head, five scenes of officer leering at young woman, tearing gown from young woman's shoulders, all visions scenes of young woman after the intertitle "And when the raiders left", and, Reel 7, the struggle scene between Marya and Orlof where he opens her waist.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Legion of Death, The 1918 films American silent feature films American black-and-white films 1918 drama films Films directed by Tod Browning Silent American drama films 1910s American films