The Little American
About The Little American
On July 4, 1914, Angela More is courted by the German-American Karl Von Austreim and the French count Jules De Destin. Karl is called back to his regiment. Angela sails to an aunt in France. A U-boat sinks her ship. She reaches the aunt's chateau, finds the aunt dead, and stays to nurse French wounded. German soldiers take the house. Karl, now an officer, finds her there. She uses a hidden telephone to give the French the German gun positions, and both of them are sentenced to be shot. French shelling lets them escape. Count De Destin stops his men from killing Karl, and Angela takes Karl back to America.
Cast & crew
More about The Little American
Cecil B. DeMille directed, with Joseph Levering also credited. Jeanie MacPherson wrote it, with DeMille. Mary Pickford produced and stars. Alvin Wyckoff photographed it. Wilfred Buckland was art director. John Hay Beith, billed as Ian Hay, was technical adviser. Artcraft handled distribution.
Themes
Background
The Chicago Board of Censors refused a permit, calling the film anti-German and likely to start a riot. Artcraft took the ban to court and won the right to show it in the city.
Making
Pickford's character claims American neutrality inside a French chateau the German troops have taken.
Look
Alvin Wyckoff photographed it. Wilfred Buckland designed the sets, including the chateau.
Preservation
Complete prints are held by the George Eastman Museum, the Library of Congress, the UCLA Film and Television Archive, the Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study, and the Cineteca del Friuli.
Notes
- Mary Pickford plays Angela More. Jack Holt plays Karl Von Austreim. Raymond Hatton plays Count Jules De Destin.
- Wallace Beery is an uncredited German soldier. Ramon Novarro and Colleen Moore appear uncredited, he as a wounded soldier and she as a nurse.
- Complete prints are at the George Eastman Museum, the Library of Congress, UCLA, the Pickford Center, and the Cineteca del Friuli.
Scenes
- Angela climbs onto a floating table after the ship is hit.
- Karl finds her hiding from the soldiers in the chateau.
- She and Karl collapse by a statue in the shelled church.
Also available
- Internet Archive (TheLittleAmerican)
