Betsy Ross (film)

Betsy Ross is a surviving 1917 American silent historical film starring Alice Brady and produced and distributed by her father William A. Brady.[1][2]

Betsy Ross
Film poster
Directed byTravers Vale
George Cowl
Produced byWilliam A. Brady (of World Film)
Written byHenry A. Du Souchet
StarringAlice Brady
CinematographyMax Schneider
Arthur L. Todd
Distributed byWorld Film Company
Release date
  • September 17, 1917 (1917-09-17)
Running time
60 minutes (5 reels)
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)

Plot

As described in a film magazine,[3] Betsy Griscome (Brady), against the wishes of her Quaker parents, keeps a tryst with a British officer, Clarence Vernon (Mayo), who promises to marry her upon his return. Clarissa (Cook), her sister, falls in love and marries Joseph Ashburn (Bowers), a trader. Suspecting Vernon of duplicity, Joseph and Vernon fight a duel and Vernon is struck down. A year later Betsy marries John Ross (Kennard), and upon his death she operates a little shop for a living. Here she shields her sister, who was driven from home when she could not produce her marriage certificate. Betsy is commissioned by General Washington (MacQuarrie) to make the first American flag and later is accused of harboring a spy - in reality, her sister's husband. The film ends happily when all relations are explained.

Cast

Reception

Like many American films of the time, Betsy Ross was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. The Chicago Board of Censors required cuts of scenes of a sword thrust during the duel, killing of second man in duel, the two intertitles "Scarlet woman" and "Don't you dare kill the Vernon nigger," the scene with a duel vision, and the actual firing of the squad at the execution.[6]

gollark: F-strings bad.
gollark: It is [DATA EXPUNGED].
gollark: Or ${new Date().getFullYear()} if you like.
gollark: Yes, it is $CURRENT_YEAR.
gollark: gnu-nobody is also somewhat bees.

References

Citations
  1. The American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films: 1911-20 by The American Film Institute, c.1988]
  2. Progressive Silent Film List: Betsy Ross at silentera.com
  3. "Reviews: Betsy Ross". Exhibitors Herald. New York: Exhibitors Herald Company. 5 (12): 23. September 15, 1917.
  4. Katchmer 2009, p. 240.
  5. Stokes 2014, p. 10.
  6. "Official Cut-Outs by the Chicago Board of Censors". Exhibitors Herald. 5 (13): 33. September 22, 1917.

Sources
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.