The Great Love
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
D. W. Griffith
Lillian Gish
Robert Harron
Henry B. Walthall
Gloria Hope
Maxfield Stanley
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
During World War I, American James Young enlists in the Canadian army and is sent to London, where he falls in love with Alice Susanna "Susie" Broadplains, the daughter of the Reverend Josephus Broadplains. Meanwhile, in a small European village, Sir Roger Brighton makes love to Jessie Lovewell but soon returns to London for meetings with pacifists and Bolsheviks, leaving her alone, brokenhearted and pregnant. Because Susie has inherited a large sum of money, Brighton courts her ardently, even though he is involved in an intrigue with Mlle. Corintee, a dancer. Reverend Broadplains, eager to end Susie's romance with Jim, convinces her to wed Brighton. Jessie and her baby then arrive in London. She is sent away from Susie and Brighton's wedding, and later she is killed in an air raid. Brighton reluctantly agrees to help the Germans, and one night, he and Mlle. Corintee drive along an outer London road, flashing a light to the enemy zeppelins above them, directing them to an important munitions plant. Jim sees them, smashes the searchlight and then, with his own lights flashing, directs the zeppelins to an empty field, which is promptly bombed. Brighton shoots himself, and after Susie serves as a nurse in an English hospital, she and Jim are reunited.
Director
D. W. Griffith
Cast
Lillian Gish
Robert Harron
Henry B. Walthall
Gloria Hope
Maxfield Stanley
George Fawcett
Rosemary Theby
George Siegmann
Crew
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Captain Victor Marier, the author of the story, was the pseudonym of D. W. Griffith and S. E. V. Taylor. Also appearing in the film in behalf of war charities were Queen Alexandra of England, Lady Diana Manners, the Princess of Monaco, Elizabeth Asquith (the daughter of the former English Prime Minister), the Countess of Drogheda, the Countess of Massarene, Lady John Lavery, Hon. Mrs. Montague, Miss Violet Keppel and Miss Bettina Stuart-Wortley. Other notables in British society appearing in the film were Sir Frederick Treves, the Baroness Rothchild, Sir Henry Stanley and Mrs. Buller, also known as Lily Elsie. Griffith appears as an extra in a crowd scene staged in front of a Paris cafe. A copy of the musical arrangement was sent with every print to exhibitors. Several scenes were filmed at the convalescent hospital on the estate of Lady Diana Manners. Many scenes were shot in England. The film opened in New York on August 11, 1918. Reviewers describe the film's length as ranging between five and eight reels. It was copyrighted at seven reels. Some reviewers name Henry Walthall's character "Giovanni Alighieri," Gloria Hope's character "Jessie Holloway," and Rosemary Theby's character "Mlle. Gabrielle." Modern sources credit James Smith as film editor. According to Karl Brown's writings, he shot some scenes in Griffith Park, and set designer Charlie Baker worked on the film. One modern sources states that the character of Sir Roger Brighton was based on Roger Casement, an Irish rebel hanged for treason after a controversial trial during the war.
