The Little American

original title:
The Little American
country / year of production:
original length:
80 min. , black/white
premiere:
USA: 27 August 1917.
based on:
Jeanie Macpherson. The Little American.
film script:
cinematographer:
composer:
more:
plot synopsis:
In 1914 American Angela Moore has two foreign suitors — a German, Karl Von Austreim and a Frenchman, Count Jules de Destin. Angela prefers Karl, but when war breaks out in Europe, both men go to serve their countries. Eventually Angela, too, sails for France, but her ship is sunk by a U-boat. She is saved, but when she arrives at her destination, she finds her aunt dead, and the family chateau transformed into a hospital for those wounded in battle. She stays, working as a nurse when She runs into Jules who warns her that the German army is about to arrive. But she decides to stay and help the wounded. The Germans arrive and not only fight, but rape and pillage. Angela mets Karl when he saves her from being almost raped by a lecherous Prussian officer. But when the Germans discover her sending messages to the French, the commander orders her shot. At this, Karl denounces his country and he is ordered to be shot, too. The pair are saved by a French shell which blows up the Germans at an opportune moment, and after an all-night battle, they are found by the Allies, sleeping at the foot of a cross. Although Karl is arrested, and they are both send to the US where Karl is interned. In the last scene Angela kisses Karl through the wire fence.
literature:
remarks:
The original ending had to be changed due to audiences` protests. Since the film had been completed before the USA entered the war the writers did not anticipate the extent of public anti-German hostility. In the new version Angela return to the States where she waits for the Frenchman.

Although not named, the oceanliner Angela take to Europe is presumed to be the Lusitania.
availability: