''The Legion of Death'' is a 1918 American silent drama film directed by Tod Browning, and released by Metro Pictures Corporation. The Legion of Death (1918, lobby card 2)

The Legion of Death (1918, lobby card 2)

Plot

As described in a film magazine, 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 Edith Storey (March 18, 1892 – October 9, 1967) was an American actress during the silent film era. Early life Storey was born on March 18, 1892, in New York City to William Chase Storey and Minnie Storey (née Thorn). Her younger brother, R ...

as Princess Marya * Philo McCullough as Captain Rodney Willard * Fred Malatesta as Grand Duke Paul *

Charles K. Gerrard Charles K. Gerrard (20 December 1883 – 1 January 1969), also known as Charles Kavanagh, was an Irish-American motion-picture actor, and the elder brother of actor and film director Douglas Gerrard. Selected filmography * ''His Brother's W ...

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 The Chicago Board of Censors was a film censorship committee based in Chicago that was founded in 1907 as the Police Censor Board, and operated until 1984. It was the first film censorship board in the United States. The board had great influence o ...

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 1910s English-language films