''The Belgian'' is a 1917 American silent film directed by

Sidney Olcott Sidney Olcott (born John Sidney Allcott, September 20, 1872 – December 16, 1949) was a Canadian-born film producer, director, actor and screenwriter. Biography Born John Sidney Allcott in Toronto, he became one of the first great direc ...

and produced by Sidney Olcott Players with

Valentine Grant Valentine Grant (February 14, 1881 – March 12, 1949) was an American silent film actress. Biography Grant was a singer who studied music in New York, hoping to sing grand opera. She performed musically on a tour of the western United States ...

and

Walker Whiteside Walker Whiteside (1869 – 1942) was an American actor who had played Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Shylock while still in his teens. Early life Walker Whiteside was born on March 16, 1869, near the confluence of the Wabash and Eel rivers ...

in the leading roles. It is not known whether the film currently survives.

Plot

As described in a film magazine, two simple Belgian folk, Jeanne (Grant) and Victor (Whiteside), love each other. Victor is a gifted sculptor and is taken to Paris for training. There he meets Countess de Vries (Crute) and becomes infatuated. She is a German spy and meets many military men through him. Berger (Randolf), the postmaster in Belgium who is also a German spy, wants Jeanne for his wife. She resists him and goes to the church for protection. The machinations of the German secret service include every possible torment for those oppressed by their power, and when war is declared Jeanne would have suffered greatly had not Berger been killed when Victor was wounded. Jeanne nurses Victor back to health and over his heartbreak for the countess. True love returns, and together they work for Belgium and watch for the troops of a larger but not greater nation to come to their aid.

Cast

as Victor Morenne *

as Jeanne Desfree *

Arda La Croix Arda La Croix was an American stage actor, screen actor, and author. He wrote novels based on popular plays including ''Billy the Kid''. La Croix appeared in several theatrical productions including with John Dillon Company. He was in the play ...

as Father Julian *

Sally Crute Sally Crute (born Sally C. Kirby, June 27, 1886 – August 12, 1971) was an American actress of the silent film era. Biography Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, before entering motion pictures Crute performed on stage. Crute was generally ca ...

as Countess de Vries *

Georgio Majeroni George Majeroni, also known as Giorgio Majeroni, (1877–1924) was a stage and screen actor. His starring roles in silent films included ''My Lady Incog'' opposite Hazel Dawn. Majeroni was born in Melbourne, Australia and was part of a family o ...

as Colonel Dupin *

Anders Randolf Anders Randolf (December 18, 1870 – July 2, 1930) was a Danish American actor in American films from 1913 to 1930. Biography Anders was born in Viborg, Denmark, where he became a professional soldier in the Danish army and a world-class swo ...

as Berger *Henry Leone as Jeanne's Uncle *Blanche Davenport as Victor's Mother Belgian Wiki001

References

External links

''The Belgian''
website dedicated to Sidney Olcott *
lantern slide
Wayback Machine) 1918 films American silent feature films American black-and-white films 1910s American films {{1910s-US-film-stub