''The Struggle'' is a 1931 American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship guidelines, popularly known ...

feature film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

directed by D. W. Griffith and based on the 1877 novel ''

L'Assommoir ''L'Assommoir'' , published as a serial in 1876, and in book form in 1877, is the seventh novel in Émile Zola's twenty-volume series ''Les Rougon-Macquart''. Usually considered one of Zola's masterpieces, the novel — a study of alcoholism and po ...

'' by

Émile Zola Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola (, also , ; 2 April 184029 September 1902) was a French novelist, journalist, playwright, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of naturalism, and an important contributor to the development of ...

. It was Griffith's only full-sound film besides ''

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

'' (1930). After several films directed by Griffith failed at the box office, ''The Struggle'' was his last film. The film was made primarily at the Audio-Cinema studios in the Bronx, New York with some outdoor filming on the streets of the Bronx. ''The Struggle'' stars

Hal Skelly Hal Skelly (James Harold Skelley; May 31, 1891 – June 16, 1934) was an American Broadway and film actor. Biography He was born James Harold Skelley in Alleghenyville, Pennsylvania to James and Martha Skelley. His family moved to Daven ...

, Zita Johann, Charles Richman, and in her film debut,

Helen Mack Helen Mack (born Helen McDougall; November 13, 1913 – August 13, 1986) was an American actress. She started her career as a child actress in silent films, moving to Broadway plays and touring one of the vaudeville circuits. Her greater succ ...

. Longtime Griffith actress

Kate Bruce Kate Bruce (February 17, 1860 – April 2, 1946) was an American actress of the silent era. She appeared in more than 280 films between 1908 and 1931. She was born in Columbus, Indiana and died in New York City. In 1885, Bruce left Boone, I ...

made her final film appearance in this film as Granny, and this was also the final film for Claude Cooper.

Plot

The story begins in 1911 and extends into the

Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcohol ...

era. Jimmie got into the habit of drinking (bootleg liquor) partly due to the Prohibition law. When he falls in love with and proposes to Florrie, he makes a vow "not to take another drink". The young couple gets married, has a daughter and enjoys a happy family life until Jimmie starts drinking again due to circumstances. As Jimmie descends into alcoholism, his family falls into disarray. His sister Nan is forced to break off engagement with Johnny due to Jimmie's alcohol-fueled bad behavior. Finally, Florrie manages to save the family and nurtures Jimmie back to his feet. Nan and Johnny are reunited.

Cast

as Jimmie Wilson * Zita Johann as Florrie *

Charlotte Wynters Charlotte Wynters (December 4, 1899 – January 7, 1991) was an American stage and film actress. Biography A native of Wheeling, West Virginia, Wynters appeared as a leading lady in a number of B pictures during the 1930s. During the 1922-19 ...

as Nina * Evelyn Baldwin as Nan Wilson * Jackson Halliday as Johnnie Marshall * Edna Hagan as Mary * Claude Cooper as Sam * Arthur Lipson as Cohen * Charles Richman as Mr. Craig *

as A Catty Girl * Scott Moore as A Gigolo * Dave Manley as A Mill Worker *

as Granny (uncredited) * Tammany Young as Barfly (uncredited)

Production

The film was inspired in part by Griffith's own battles with alcoholism. He partly funded it with a 1929 tax refund that had been invested in stocks that did well despite the Depression. Shooting took place from July to August 1931.

Release

The film received poor reviews and was not a success at the box office. In 1935 United Artists considered re-releasing the film but could not get a Code Seal from the Breen Office unless cuts were made, so decided not to do it. In 1940 another distributor B.A. Mills considered re-releasing it under the title ''Ten Nights in a Barroom'' but encountered similar difficulties. Griffith never made another movie although he did marry an actress from the film, Evelyn Baldwin. The film's copyright was renewed in 1959, so it will not fall into the public domain until January 1, 2027.

References

External links

*
The AFI Catalog of Feature Films: ''The Struggle''''The Struggle'' film
on

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