''The Lost Battalion'' is a

1919 Events January * January 1 ** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (now Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia. ** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off the c ...

American silent war film about units of the 77th Infantry Division (the " Lost Battalion") penetrating deep into the Argonne Forest of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

during

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 ...

. The film was directed by

Burton L. King Burton L. King (August 25, 1877 – May 4, 1944) was an American film actor and director. One of his best-known productions was '' The Lost Battalion'' (1919). Selected filmography * '' The Battle of Gettysburg'' (1913) * ''Under the Crescent'' ...

and features Major

Charles W. Whittlesey Charles White Whittlesey (January 20, 1884 – November 26, 1921) was a United States Army Medal of Honor recipient who led the Lost Battalion in the Meuse–Argonne offensive during World War I. He committed suicide by drowning when he jumped ...

and a number of actual soldiers from the 77th who portrayed themselves in the film. It was released July 2, 1919 in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. The film was

remade Bas-Lag is the fictional world in which several of English author China Miéville's novels are set. Bas-Lag is a world where both magic (referred to as "thaumaturgy") and steampunk technology exist, and is home to many intelligent races. It is inf ...

in 2001 by Russell Mulcahy.

Plot

The men of the 308th Infantry Regiment, part of Major General Robert Alexander's 77th Infantry Division, have been drafted from diverse ethnic, economic, and social groups in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. Two men are fighting Chinatown tongs, one is a burglar, another is a wealthy merchant's son in love with his father's stenographer, who dreams of becoming the greatest movie actress, another is a private in love with the merchant's ward, and finally there is "the Kicker," who finds fault with everything. After training in

Yaphank Yaphank () is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 5,945 at the time of the 2010 census. Yaphank is located in the south part of the Town of Brookhaven. It is served by the L ...

and in

, the 463 men advance under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Charles W. Whittlesey into the "Pocket" of the Argonne Forest, to help break down the supposedly impregnable German defense. Cut off from Allied troops and supplies, and surrounded by the enemy, the battalion, nicknamed "The Lost Battalion," withstands six days without food or water. When the German commander asks for their surrender, Whittlesey replies, "Tell them to go to hell!" The Chinese rivals fight bravely side-by-side, while the burglar dies heroically. After their rescue, the survivors are given a parade in New York, and are reunited with their families and sweethearts.

Cast

*Major General Robert Alexander – (Himself) *Lieutenant Colonel

– (Himself) *Major George McMurtry – (Himself) *Captain William J. Cullen – (Himself) *Lieutenant

Arthur F. McKeogh Arthur is a common male given name of Brittonic languages, Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. An ...

– (Himself) *Lieutenant

Augustus Kaiser Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...

– (Himself) *Private

Abraham Krotoshinsky Abraham Krotoshinsky (December 28, 1892 – November 24, 1953) was a United States Army soldier who received the Distinguished Service Cross in recognition of his actions as part of The Lost Battalion during the final weeks of World War I. Early ...

– (Himself) * Helen Ferguson – (The Stenographer) *

Marion Coakley Marion Coakley (September 22, 1896 - August 30, 1968) was an actress on stage and screen. She was in various theatrical productions from 1917 into the later 1920s. The New York Public Library has a collection of photographs of her from White Stu ...

– (Nancy Crystal) * Mrs. Stuart Robson – (The landlady) *Blanche Davenport – (The mother) *Lt. Jordan – (Himself) *

Bessie Learn Bessie Learn (30 August 1888 – 5 February 1987) was an American actress who appeared in 86 films between 1911 and 1919. Biography Elizabeth “Bessie” Learn was born in San Diego''Photoplay: the Aristocrat of Motion Picture Magazines'', Vol ...

– (The girl next door) * Sidney D'Albrook – (The burglar) *

Gaston Glass Gaston Glass (born Jacques Gaston Oscar Glass; December 31, 1899 – November 11, 1965) was a French-American actor and film producer. He was the father of the composer Paul Glass (born 1934). Selected filmography * ''The Corsican Broth ...

– (Harry Merwin) *Jack McLean – (The Kicker) *

William H. Tooker William H. Tooker (September 2, 1869 – October 10, 1936) was an American stage and film actor. Tooker acted with the Tivoli Comic Opera Company in San Francisco. On Broadway, he performed in ''The Coronet of the Duchess'' (1904) and ''The Gove ...

*Stephen Grattan *J. A. King

External links

* *
''Film on You Tube''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lost Battalion (1919 film), The 1919 films 1919 war films 1910s American films 1910s English-language films American black-and-white films American silent feature films American war films American World War I films Cultural depictions of Charles W. Whittlesey Films directed by Burton L. King Forest of Argonne Meuse–Argonne offensive Silent war films Surviving American silent films Western Front (World War I) films World War I films based on actual events