Hearts of the World *** (1918, Lillian Gish, Dorothy Gish, Robert Harron) – Classic Movie Review 10,198

D W Griffith’s famed 1918 silent World War One flagwaver propaganda drama Hearts of the World has a scenario by Griffith, in which a French family suffers as their son, Douglas Gordon Hamilton (Robert Harron) goes to fight in the trenches. Lillian Gish endures horrible hardships as his childhood sweetheart, Marie Stephenson.

Patient audiences could try this silent melodrama for a look at the sisters Lillian Gish and Dorothy Gish, particularly Dorothy’s comic performance as Lillian’s rival, Erich von Stroheim as a stomping German, and Noël Coward’s first film appearance (aged 19) as The Man with the Wheelbarrow / A Villager in the Streets.

The simplistic, obvious, naïve boy and girl love story – ‘A ROMANCE OF THE GREAT WAR’ – is balanced by many gripping moments and some beautifully photographed images of war and wartime, thanks to ace cinematographer Billy Bitzer, plus Alfred Machin and Hendrik Sartov.

The British Government asked Griffith to make it as anti-German propaganda to rouse the American public to want to enter the war and to help prompt the US to join the allies. It was partly filmed from May to October 1917 in Britain, where French battle scenes were staged in Surrey, as well as in France and California. Much of the footage was shot on the set from Intolerance. British and Canadian troops recreated battle scenes and interior scenes on a stage at Fine Arts Studio in Los Angeles from November to December 1917.

But real war footage adds realism and interest. The scenes shot in Europe and Los Angeles were edited together with stock footage from newsreels. But Griffith also filmed some battle scenes during actual battles at the front in France. He made two trips to France with his crew to film footage of the trenches, once forced to take cover when their location came under German artillery fire. As his cameraman Billy Bitzer was of German descent, he was not allowed in France, so an army cameraman was used. Griffith also bought footage of the German army from an Austrian-American officer named Kleinschmit, arrested in the US for espionage.

Griffith added a scene for the UK release showing him setting up equipment in the trenches, and another scene with the Prime Minister David Lloyd George wishing him luck with his movie.

Lillian Gish’s authentic peasant dress is created by Nathan of London.

A print of the film still exists and is held by the Cohen Media Group. The rights are now in the public domain.

D W Griffith filming Hearts of the World in France.

Lillian Gish recalled: ‘Hearts of the World enjoyed great success until the Armistice when people lost interest in war films. The film inflamed audiences. Its depiction of German brutality bordered on the absurd. Whenever a German came near me, he beat me or kicked me. I don’t believe that Mr Griffith ever forgave himself for making Hearts of the World. “War is the villain,” he repeated, “not any particular people.”‘

Hearts of the World runs 117 minutes, is produced by D W Griffith Productions, Famous Players-Lasky Corporation and the War Office Committee, is distributed by Paramount Pictures as Artcraft Pictures Corporation, and is written by D W Griffith (credited as Capt Victor Marier and M Gaston de Tolignac).

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,198

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