''Womanhood, the Glory of the Nation'' is a 1917 American lost
silent 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-g ...
directed by
J. Stuart Blackton
James Stuart Blackton (January 5, 1875 – August 13, 1941) was a British-American film producer and director of the silent era. One of the pioneers of motion pictures, he founded Vitagraph Studios in 1897. He was one of the first filmmakers to ...
and
William P. S. Earle
William Pitt Striker Earle (December 28, 1882 – November 30, 1972) was an American director of the silent film era. He attended Columbia University and worked for a time as a photographer before breaking into the movie business by sneaking o ...
, and written by Blackton, Helmer W. Bergman, and
Cyrus Townsend Brady
Cyrus Townsend Brady (December 20, 1861 – January 24, 1920) was a journalist, historian and adventure writer. His best-known work is ''Indian Fights and Fighters''.
Background
He was born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, and graduated from the U.S. ...
. It is a sequel to the 1915 movie ''
The Battle Cry of Peace
''The Battle Cry of Peace'' is a 1915 American silent War film directed by Wilfrid North and J. Stuart Blackton, one of the founders of Vitagraph Company of America who also wrote the scenario. The film is based on the book ''Defenseless Ameri ...
''. The film stars
Alice Joyce
Alice Joyce Brown ( Joyce; October 1, 1890 – October 9, 1955) was an American actress who appeared in more than 200 films during the 1910s and 1920s. She is known for her roles in the 1923 film '' The Green Goddess'' and its 1930 remake of ...
and
Harry T. Morey
Harry Temple Morey (August 21, 1873 – January 24, 1936) was an American stage and motion picture actor who appeared in nearly 200 films during his career.
Biography
Born in Charlotte, Michigan, Morey had two brothers. Their mother was Addie C. ...
. It is a
lost film
A lost film is a feature or short film that no longer exists in any studio archive, private collection, public archive or the U.S. Library of Congress.
Conditions
During most of the 20th century, U.S. copyright law required at least one copy o ...
.
Plot
Traveling in Europe, Mary Ward fascinates Count Darius of
Ruritania
Ruritania is a fictional country, originally located in central Europe as a setting for novels by Anthony Hope, such as ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1894). Nowadays the term connotes a quaint minor European country, or is used as a placeholder name f ...
who asks her in marriage. Promising him an answer, Mary returns to the United States via Manila. Passing through the Philippines, he learns that New York was unexpectedly attacked by
Ruritania
Ruritania is a fictional country, originally located in central Europe as a setting for novels by Anthony Hope, such as ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1894). Nowadays the term connotes a quaint minor European country, or is used as a placeholder name f ...
and, in the course of the attack, his mother and sister were killed. Paul Strong, an American politician, takes Mary back to her homeland and in New York opens a campaign to reorganize the army. Paul's sister Jane, who shows up at the rallies impersonating
Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronati ...
to inflame the souls of the patriots, is killed. Mary uses her fascination with Dario, whose father is in charge of the forces of
Ruritania
Ruritania is a fictional country, originally located in central Europe as a setting for novels by Anthony Hope, such as ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1894). Nowadays the term connotes a quaint minor European country, or is used as a placeholder name f ...
, to steal military secrets from him. Count Dario is shot by his father, The Marshal Prince Dario for disobedience of orders. Among wounded veterans - like Philip, Mary's brother, blind from the war -, espionage and battles, the United States manages to win the war led by Paul to victory and defeat the Rurite army. He and Mary, hugging each other in New York, now happily observe a once again prosperous and peaceful city.
Cast list
See also
*
The Battle Cry of Peace
''The Battle Cry of Peace'' is a 1915 American silent War film directed by Wilfrid North and J. Stuart Blackton, one of the founders of Vitagraph Company of America who also wrote the scenario. The film is based on the book ''Defenseless Ameri ...
*
Invasion literature
Invasion literature (also the invasion novel) is a literary genre that was popular in the period between 1871 and the First World War (1914–1918). The invasion novel first was recognized as a literary genre in the UK, with the novella '' The B ...
References
{{J. Stuart Blackton
1917 films
1917 drama films
American silent feature films
Films directed by J. Stuart Blackton
Films directed by William P. S. Earle
1910s American films