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The Spirit of the USA

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Wikipedia article




'The Spirit of the USA' is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by Emory Johnson and written by Emilie Johnson. The film stars Johnnie Walker and Mary Carr. The film was released on May 18, 1924 by FBO.[http://catalog.afi.com/Film/12351-THE-SPIRIT-OF-THE-US-A?sid=60b58646-cd5e-4862-8f05-6d05d5409102&sr=6.016586&cp=1&pos=4 The Spirit of the USA] The AFI Catalog of Feature Films

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Plot



Emilie Johnson claimed Woodrow Wilson inspired this story. This film takes place during World War I.

Thomas Gains Carl Stockdale and his wife, Mary Mary Carr, play a couple living on a farm with their two sons. Her oldest son is Johnnie, played by Johnnie Walker. Her youngest son is named Silas, played by Cuyler Supplee.

In April 1917, the U.S. joined the allies, declares war against Germany, and enters World War I. Overwhelmed with a sense of duty, Johnnie immediately wants to enlist in the Army. He is rejected. He then enlists in the Salvation Army and is shipped to Europe. His lazy, cowardly brother shrugs his duty, takes over the farm, and marries Zelda Burrows, played by Rosemary Cooper. Zelda's father, John Burrows, played by Mark Fenton, wants to acquire the Gains farm to build a dam legally or otherwise.

Zelda teases Silas for staying home during the war. Showing Zelda, he's not a coward, Silas enlists in the Army. Silas is shipped to France and dies on the battlefield. Learning of her husband's death, Zelda takes control of the farm. Her father's lawyer, Jim Fuller, played by Dave Kirby, claims Johnnie has also been killed in Europe. Zelda promptly evicts Thomas and Mary from their home. Then Zelda claims the farm along with her father. Her father starts to build his dam.

Suddenly, Johnnie returns home. Everyone thought he had died in battle. After his return, he starts to restore order. Johnnie tosses Zelda off the farm, blows up the dam, and restores his parents' property. Then Johnnie finds out his sweetheart Gretchen played by Gloria Grey has been waiting for him. Johnnie marries Gretchen, and they live happily ever after.[http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/500290/The-Spirit-of-the-U-S-A The Spirit of the USA @ TCM.com]

Cast



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Production



The original name of the photoplay was 'Swords and Plowshares'.

Emory Johnson and the cast spent several weeks shooting the movie in the vicinity of the Presidio, San Francisco.

The action scenes were filmed near Hollywood. Emory selected an area where the terrain mimicked the European battlegrounds of World War I. To make the battle scenes more realistic, Emory used High Explosives, fake Gas Shells, and mines. Many residents began to think the Japanese had started to invade California.

The area where the battle scenes were filmed was left so pock-marked, considerable effort was needed to make the land usable again.

Preservation Status



A report created by film historian and archivist David Pierce for the Library of Congress claims:

*75% of original silent-era films have perished.

*14% of the 10,919 silent films released by major studios exist in their original 35mm or other formats.

*11% survive in full-length foreign versions or on film formats of lesser image quality. Many silent-era films did not survive for reasons as explained on this Wikipedia page.

Emory Johnson directed 13 films - 11 were silent, and 2 were Talkies. 'The Spirit of the USA' was the fifth film in Emory Johnson's eight-picture contract with FBO. The film's length is listed at 9 reels. According to the Library of Congress website, this film has a status of - Completeness: abridgment and No holdings located in archives.[http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.mbrs.sfdb.9458/default.html The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: 'The Spirit of the U.S.A.']

A 15-minute excerpt is available on the [https://archive.org/details/0963SpiritOfTheUSA1924Excerpt Internet Archive]

The film segment is available on [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP9-CuaprGU YouTube] and from various DVD vendors

Gallery



{{Gallery

|title=Cast Members and Director

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|File:CarlStockdale-TSUSA.png

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|File:MaryCarr-TSUSA.png

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|File:JohnnieWalker-TSUSA.png

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|File:Cuyle Supplee-TSUSA.png

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|File:MarkFenton-TSUSA.png

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|File:DavidKirby-TSUSA.png

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|File:Gloria Grey - 1920s portrait.jpg

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|File:RosemaryCooper-TSUSA.png

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|File:RichardMorris-TWBL.png

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|File:DickBrandonAge4.jpg

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|File:Emory Johnson 32.jpg

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References




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