America (1924)

Director:

D.W. Griffith

Writers:

Robert W. Chambers (screenplay)
Robert W. Chambers (story)

Release Date:

21 February 1924 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Tagline:

Love of tender girlhood! Passionate deeds of heroes! A rushing, leaping drama of charm and excitement!

Plot:

The story of a family caught up in the American Revolutionary War. |

Plot Keywords:

Card Game | Patriotism | Epic | Thomas Jefferson | Battle

Cast

Neil Hamilton	...	Nathan Holden
Erville Alderson	...	Justice Montague
Carol Dempster	...	Miss Nancy Montague
Charles Emmett Mack	...	Justice Charles Montague
Lee Beggs	...	Samuel Adams
John Dunton	...	John Hancock
Arthur Donaldson	...	King George III
Charles Bennett	...	William Pitt
Downing Clarke	...	Lord Chamberlain
Frank Walsh	...	Thomas Jefferson
Frank McGlynn Sr.	...	Patrick Henry
Arthur Dewey	...	George Washington
P.R. Scammon	...	Richard Henry Lee
Lionel Barrymore	...	Capt. Walter Butler
Sydney Deane	...	Sir Ashley Montague
W.W. Jones	...	Gen. Gage
Edward Roseman	...	Capt. Montour
Harry Semels	...	Hikatoo
Harry O'Neill	...	Paul Revere
Henry Van Bousen	...	John Parker (captain of the Minutemen)
Hugh Baird	...	Maj. Pitcairn
James Milady	...	Jonas Parker
Henry S. Koser	...	Capt. Prescott (as H. Koser)
Michael Donavan	...	Maj. Gen. Warren
Louis Wolheim	...	Capt. Hare
Riley Hatch	...	Joseph Brant (chief of the Mohawks)
Paul Doucet	...	Marquis de Lafayette
William S. Rising	...	Edmund Burke
Daniel Carney	...	Personal servant of Miss Montague
Edward Scanlon	...	Household servant at Ashley Court
Emil Hoch	...	Lord North
Lucille La Verne	...	Refugee mother
Edwin Holland	...	Maj. Strong
Milton Noble	...	An old patriot
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Edward Dillon	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
D.W. Griffith

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Robert W. Chambers		screenplay
Robert W. Chambers		story

Produced by
D.W. Griffith	....	producer

Original Music by
Joseph Carl Breil
Adolph Fink

Cinematography by
G.W. Bitzer
Marcel Le Picard
Hendrik Sartov
Harold S. Sintzenich

Film Editing by
James Smith
Rose Smith

Art Direction by
Charles M. Kirk

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Herbert Sutch	....	assistant director
Frank Walsh	....	assistant director

Art Department
William J. Bantel	....	director of construction
Charles E. Boss	....	scenic artist

Visual Effects by
Warren Newcombe	....	matte painter (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Frank J. Diem	....	still photographer
Vincent J. Farrar	....	akeley camera operator

Music Department
Joseph Carl Breil	....	music arranger

Other crew
John L.E. Pell	....	historical arrangement
Benjamin Turner	....	studio projectionist

Production Companies

• D.W. Griffith Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1924) (USA) (theatrical)
• Image Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1972) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• Critics' Choice Video (????) (USA) (video)
• Kino Video (????) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Love and Sacrifice (UK)
América (Spain) [es]
Amerikka (Finland) (TV title) [fi]
Amor Pátrio (Portugal) [pt]
Pour l'indépendance (France) [fr]
Taisteluun vapauden puolesta (Finland) [fi]

Runtime:

141 min | USA:93 min (Killiam Restoration with narration)

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Filming Locations:

Farmington, New York, USA

Company:

D.W. Griffith Productions

Trivia:

This film is regarded as major turning point in the career of D.W. Griffith. Its critical and public failure ended Griffith's tenure as the industry's preeminent director.

Movie Connections:

Edited into The Negro Soldier (1944)

In many ways, exceptional,...but bogged down by a silly and meaningless romance

I really wanted to like this film and I don't think I was terribly disappointed. Being an American History teacher, I felt an obligation, almost, to see this film and as far as the history went, it wasn't bad. Sure there were a few mistakes here and there (especially with the timeline--the movie only appeared to last a few months or perhaps a year--not over six years of actual fighting), but the overall spirit of the film and the battle sequences were excellent. Unfortunately, the movie ALSO included a pretty meaningless subplot involving a difficult to believe romance between a poor patriot and a rich Loyalist. For the most part, it really served to distract from the overall plot and just seemed "tacked on"--like a plot device instead of a real honest-to-goodness romance. In fact, as much of the romance boiled down to the dumb cliché of "love at fist sight", it was kind of annoying the more I think about it.

However, in spite of this romance, the film is truly interesting and inspiring---plus, in so many ways it seems as if the much later film, THE PATRIOT, was copied from this Griffith film!!! Both films followed the exploits of an evil leader fighting for the British and using horrible and evil tactics against the civilians--and both having the secret intention of using this as a "springboard" to starting their OWN nation in the America!!! The only major difference is that this film is set in the North and THE PATRIOT was in the Carolinas. It sure would have been nice if Mel Gibson and the rest had acknowledged their debt to D. W. Griffith for the story ideas. It just doesn't seem all that likely that the two stories were created independently of each other.

PS--Despite me liking this film and some other of Griffith's films, he DOES deserve to once again "burn in hell" for his having White actors portray all the Black servants in the film! This is a sick and bigoted thing that Griffith did in so many of his films--especially in BIRTH OF A NATION. I gotta assume based on this and the way he portrays Blacks that he was A-OK with slavery and was quite the apologist for this "quaint institution" (don't get mad at me--this IS meant as sarcasm).