| ~Hearts Of The World~ 1918 |
| ~Plot Synopsis~ |
After a prologue which shows director D. W. Griffith setting up a camera in the British front lines
under the auspices of the British War Official Cinematograph Committee, meeting war
correspondents and shaking hands with David Lloyd George, Prime Minister at No. 10 Downing
Street in London, the story begins. In a little village in northern France, Marie Stephenson falls in
love with Douglas Gordon Hamilton, the eldest of an American artist's four sons. The romance is
threatened when Marie sees a street singer called the Little Disturber embracing Douglas, but he
soon explains that his heart really belongs to Marie and the two are reunited. The Little Disturber
finally accepts the attentions of Monsieur Cuckoo, while Douglas and Marie become engaged. With
the outbreak of World War I, Douglas, Monsieur Cuckoo and the village carpenter join the French
army, and while they fight on a nearby battlefield, the village is shelled and occupied by the
Germans. After the deaths of her mother and grandfather, Marie, demented, wanders through the
ruined village in her wedding gown until she finds Douglas lying wounded and unconscious on the
ground. Although Marie believes him dead, he eventually regains his health at the Red Cross
hospital and later infiltrates the German lines as a spy. In the village, the Germans brutally mistreat
the townspeople, and Douglas' mother finally collapses and dies. Douglas returns to the village and
hides in Marie's room, but is discovered by a German sergeant, who reports his presence to the
brutal and lecherous von Strohm. The Germans are about to enter the room when the French retake
the village and rescue Douglas and Marie.
Plot Synopsis from afi.com
under the auspices of the British War Official Cinematograph Committee, meeting war
correspondents and shaking hands with David Lloyd George, Prime Minister at No. 10 Downing
Street in London, the story begins. In a little village in northern France, Marie Stephenson falls in
love with Douglas Gordon Hamilton, the eldest of an American artist's four sons. The romance is
threatened when Marie sees a street singer called the Little Disturber embracing Douglas, but he
soon explains that his heart really belongs to Marie and the two are reunited. The Little Disturber
finally accepts the attentions of Monsieur Cuckoo, while Douglas and Marie become engaged. With
the outbreak of World War I, Douglas, Monsieur Cuckoo and the village carpenter join the French
army, and while they fight on a nearby battlefield, the village is shelled and occupied by the
Germans. After the deaths of her mother and grandfather, Marie, demented, wanders through the
ruined village in her wedding gown until she finds Douglas lying wounded and unconscious on the
ground. Although Marie believes him dead, he eventually regains his health at the Red Cross
hospital and later infiltrates the German lines as a spy. In the village, the Germans brutally mistreat
the townspeople, and Douglas' mother finally collapses and dies. Douglas returns to the village and
hides in Marie's room, but is discovered by a German sergeant, who reports his presence to the
brutal and lecherous von Strohm. The Germans are about to enter the room when the French retake
the village and rescue Douglas and Marie.
Plot Synopsis from afi.com
| Directed & Written by: D. W. Griffith |
| ~Cast~ D.W. Griffith ... Himself (in prologue for British release) David Lloyd George ... Himself - the British Prime Minister (in prologue for British release) Sir Edward Grey ... Himself - British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Addressing House of Commons (archive footage) René Viviani ... Himself - the French Premier Addressing French Chamber of Deputies (archive footage) Elizabeth Asquith ... Nurse Valerie Germonprez ... Red Cross nurse Lady Lavery ... Nurse Diana Manners ... Nurse Bettina Stuart-Wortley ... Nurse Ben Alexander ... The Boy's Littlest Brother (uncredited) Robert Anderson ... Monsieur Cuckoo (uncredited) Kate Bruce ... The Mother of the Boy (uncredited) Jack Cosgrave ... The Father of the Boy (uncredited) Noel Coward ... Man with Wheelbarrow / A Villager in the Street (uncredited) Josephine Crowell ... The Mother (uncredited) Alphonse Dufort ... A Poilu (uncredited) Jean Dumercier ... A Poilu (uncredited) Yvette Duvoisin ... A Refugee (uncredited) Louise Emmons ... (uncredited) Marion Emmons ... The Boy's Second Brother (uncredited) George Fawcett ... The Village Carpenter (uncredited) Dorothy Gish ... The Little Disturber (uncredited) Lillian Gish ... The Girl, Marie Stephenson (uncredited) Mary Gish ... A Refugee Mother (uncredited) John Harron ... A Boy with a Barrel (uncredited) Mary Harron ... A Wounded Girl (uncredited) Mrs. Harron ... A Woman with Daughter (uncredited) Robert Harron ... The Boy, Douglas Gordon Hamilton (uncredited) Tessie Harron ... A Refugee (uncredited) Mary Hay ... A Dancer (uncredited) Fay Holderness ... The Innkeeper (uncredited) Jules Lemontier ... A Stretcher Bearer (uncredited) Adolph Lestina ... The Grandfather (uncredited) L. Lowry ... A Deaf and Blind Musician (uncredited) Georges Loyer ... A Poilu (uncredited) Francis Marion ... The Boy's Third Brother (uncredited) George Nichols ... A German Sergeant (uncredited) Eugene Pouyet ... A Poilu (uncredited) Gaston Riviere ... A Stretcher Bearer (uncredited) George Siegmann ... Von Strohm (uncredited) Herbert Sutch ... A French Major (uncredited) Erich von Stroheim ... Von Strohm's Adjutant (uncredited) Anna Mae Walthall ... A French Peasant Girl (uncredited) |
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| ~Director David Wark Griffith, child actor Ben Alexander and Billy Bitzer behind the camera.~ |
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| ~Far Right: Lillian Gish~ |
| ~Lillian Gish~ |
| ~Lillian Gish~ |
| ~Remaining Credits~ Production Companies: D.W. Griffith Productions Famous Players-Lasky Corporation War Office Committee Distribution Company: Paramount Pictures Producer: D.W. Griffith Cinematography by: G.W. Bitzer, Alfred Machin & Hendrik Sartov Film Editing by: James Smith & Rose Smith Set Designer: Frank Wortman Second Camera Operator: Karl Brown Photographer (Europe): D.P. Cooper Music Arranger: Carli Elinor & D.W. Griffith Presenter: D.W. Griffith Length: 13 Reels Runtime: 117 Minutes Released: April 4, 1918 |
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| ~Dorothy Gish~ |
