The Slacker
Cast & Crew
William Christy Cabanne
Emily Stevens
Walter Miller
Leo Delaney
Daniel Jarrett
Eugene Borden
Film Details
Synopsis
Robert Wallace, the elder son of a rich and indulgent father, marries Margaret Christy, a spirited patriot, so that he can escape the call to war. Discovering the reason for Robert's haste to get married, Margaret is appalled and resolves to bring home to her husband a sense of his personal responsibility. In order to instill patriotism in Robert, Margaret contrasts him with John Harding, the man who gave her up to go to war. When Robert protests his wife's tactics, Margaret accuses him of being a contemptible coward. The next day a German insults the American flag, and Robert, his sense of justice aroused, makes him salute it. He then bids Margaret farewell and marches off to war. Margaret sees him off without divulging the secret that she is pregnant, thus sacrificing her own welfare for that of her country.
Director
William Christy Cabanne
Cast
Emily Stevens
Walter Miller
Leo Delaney
Daniel Jarrett
Eugene Borden
Millicent Fisher
Sue Balfour
Mathilde Brundage
Baby Ivy Ward
Charles Fang
Belle Bruce
Dorothy Hydell
W. E. Lawrence
Jr. G. P. Hamilton
Evelyn Converse
Crew
Film Details
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
This film, highly praised by the Army, was used to stimulate recruiting efforts. According to a contemporary news item, John M. Mallace, a young Chicago man, was so impressed by the film that he enlisted in the Army after viewing it. Included in the news report was a reprint of a letter that Mallace wrote to Metro thanking them for making the inspirational film. According to the 1918 MPSD, Ben Lyon played the juvenile lead in this film, however, no information concerning his participation in the film was found in reviews, news items or the copyright descriptions. Variety commented, "Now that drafting has become a reality and many young Americans are drawn but are sure to claim exemptions, they won't feel so sure of the exemption plea after they have seen The Slacker." Moving Picture World noted, "A representative from every race is shown on the screen, and then the heads of all, grouped together, dissolve into the fabric of an immense Unites States flag, the true 'melting-pot' of the nations."
