''Her Country's Call'' is a 1917 American 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. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Lloyd Ingraham Lloyd Chauncey Ingraham (November 30, 1874 – April 4, 1956) was an American film actor and director. Biography Born in Rochelle, Illinois, Ingraham appeared in more than 280 films between 1912 and 1950, as well as directing more than 100 f ...

and starring

Mary Miles Minter Mary Miles Minter (born Juliet Reilly; April 25, 1902Louisiana Birth Certificate, Caddo Parish, No. 119, Book A, Page 97, Birth Date: April 25, 1902, Name: Mary M. Reilly ic – Original Caddo birth record was recorded as "J.H. Riley's Child" ...

, along with

George Periolat George Periolat (February 5, 1874 – February 20, 1940) was an American actor. Biography Born in Chicago, Illinois, George Periolat began his career as a Broadway theatre, Broadway actor. Making his film debut with the Essanay Studios in Chic ...

and

Allan Forrest Allan Forrest Fisher (September 1, 1885 – July 25, 1941) was an American silent film actor. Life and career Allan Forrest Fisher starred in 119 films, mostly silent, between 1913 and 1932. He appeared in films such as '' The Torch Bearer'', ...

. The film is the final instalment in a series a films written by

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

impersonator

Benjamin Chapin Benjamin Chapin (August 9, 1872 – June 2, 1918) was an American stage actor best known as an impersonator of Abraham Lincoln. From childhood Chapin had an obsession with the assassinated president, and had a lengthy career playing him on the Ly ...

, who also appeared in the film as Lincoln. It was one of many films of the time that catered to the vogue for patriotic pictures after America joined

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, with ample shots of soldiers and the American flag. As with many of Minter's features, it is thought to be a

lost film A lost film is a feature film, feature or short film in which the original negative or copies are not known to exist in any studio archive, private collection, or public archive. Films can be wholly or partially lost for a number of reasons. ...

.The Library of Congress/FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: ''Her Country's Call''
/ref>

Plot

As described in various film magazines, Jess Slocum (Minter), a little mountain girl, lives in a cabin with her father Jim (Periolat). Jim Slocum hates the flag, and hates the soldiers that they can see drilling in the valley below, and when Jess asks him why, he explains that he was thrown out of camp fifteen years earlier for selling liquor to the soldiers. He tells Jess that he had his revenge, but does not elaborate further. One day, Jess meets a soldier from the camp, Captain Neville (Forrest), while he is fishing in a nearby stream. Attracted to the handsome soldier, she convinces her father to buy her a pretty new dress. While she is trying it on, secret service men open fire on the cabin, wounding Jess in the shoulder. Jim Slocum is arrested on the charge of moonshining, and Jess is taken to Captain Neville's house, to be nursed there by his sister. As she is recovering, Captain Neville teaches her to sound the bugle calls. The girls of the town, led by the Colonel's daughter Marie (Shelby), shun Jess due to her father's arrest and so, when she is well enough, she sets out to return to her old cabin. On the way she sees John Reynolds (Dearholt) tear down the flag, and hears him plotting to raid the town while the soldiers are at a dance. Jess shoots him, then rides back to town and sounds the call to arms on the bugle. Reynolds and his raiders are defeated, and Colonel Tremaine (Barrows) receives a letter from Jim Slocum which finally reveals the nature of his old revenge; fifteen years ago, he stole the Colonel's baby daughter and raised her as his own. Thus Jess is the saviour of the town, and finds herself a new father, a new sister, and a handsome husband in Captain Neville.

Cast

- Jess Slocum *

- Jim Slocum *

- Capt. Earle Neville * Henry A. Barrows - Col. Tremaine * Margaret Shelby - Marie Tremaine *

Ashton Dearholt Ashton Dearholt (April 4, 1894 – April 27, 1942) was an American actor of the silent film era. He appeared in 75 films between 1915 and 1938. He was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and died in Los Angeles, California. He was sometimes billed ...

- John Reynolds *

Reception

Like many American films of the time, ''Her Country's Call'' was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. The Chicago Board of Censors required a cut of the scenes of selling whiskey to an Indian and the shooting of a guard.

References

External links

* {{Lloyd Ingraham 1917 films 1917 drama films 1917 lost films American Civil War films American historical fiction American silent feature films American black-and-white films Fictional depictions of Abraham Lincoln in film Films set in the 1860s Films set in the 19th century Lost American drama films Lost war drama films Films directed by Lloyd Ingraham 1910s American films Silent American war drama films 1910s English-language films English-language war drama films Lost silent American films