The Unknown Soldier is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Renaud Hoffman, written by Richard Schayer and James J. Tynan, and starring Charles Emmett Mack, Marguerite De La Motte, Henry B. Walthall, Claire McDowell, and George Cooper. It was released on May 30, 1926, by Producers Distributing Corporation.[1][2][3]
| The Unknown Soldier | |
|---|---|
 Lobby card | |
| Directed by | Renaud Hoffman |
| Screenplay by | Richard Schayer James J. Tynan |
| Produced by | Renaud Hoffman |
| Starring | Charles Emmett Mack Marguerite De La Motte Henry B. Walthall Claire McDowell George Cooper |
| Cinematography | Ray June |
Production companies | Charles R. Rogers Productions Renaud Hoffman Productions |
| Distributed by | Producers Distributing Corporation |
Release date |
|
Running time | 71 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
Plot
editThe plot involves an American soldier heroically dying alone during World War I with a faint suggestion that he may be interred in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which had been dedicated in 1921.
Cast
edit- Charles Emmett Mack as Fred Williams
- Marguerite De La Motte as Mary Phillips
- Henry B. Walthall as John Phillips
- Claire McDowell as John Phillips's sister
- George Cooper as Cpl. Fogarty
- Syd Crossley as Peaceful Perkins
- Jesse De Vorska as Mike
- Willis Marks as Rev. Dr. Mortimer
- Ethel Wales as Mrs. Williams
Reception
editThe film was shown at a Los Angeles theater with a happy ending where De La Motte's character Mary stood at an altar for a mythical marriage and at the end her soldier Fred appears. A second version was later shown where the soldier never returns, leaving the young woman standing alone in a fade out, which patrons of the theater preferred. Director Renaud Hoffman stated that the later version was what he intended, and wanted it shown that way nationwide.[4]
Preservation
editPrints of The Unknown Soldier survive in the Library of Congress, UCLA Film and Television Archive, and in a foreign archive.[5]
References
edit- ^ "The Unknown Soldier (1926) - Overview - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
- ^ "Movie Review - Ransons Folly (1926) THE SCREEN; A Lost Chance". The New York Times. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
- ^ The Unknown Soldier at silentera.com
- ^ "Unhappy Ending Best Liked in "Soldier" - Finale Changed in Los Angeles Figueroa - Director Wants It Universal", Variety, 83 (9): 4, June 16, 1926, retrieved April 29, 2022
- ^ The Library of Congress / FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: The Unknown Soldier
External links
edit- The Unknown Soldier at IMDb
- The Unknown Soldier at AllMovie
- Review and stills at Great War Fiction
- The Unknown Soldier on YouTube
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