The Fall of a Nation
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The Fall of a Nation | |
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File:The Fall of a Nation 2.jpg | |
Directed by | Thomas Dixon, Jr. |
Written by | Thomas Dixon, Jr. (novel and screenplay) |
Starring | Lorraine Huling Percy Standing |
Music by | Victor Herbert |
Cinematography | John W. Boyle |
Distributed by | V-L-S-E |
Release dates
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Running time
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7-8 reels |
Country | United States |
Language | Silent English intertitles |
The Fall of a Nation is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Thomas Dixon, Jr., and is a sequel to the 1915 film The Birth of a Nation, directed by D. W. Griffith. Dixon, Jr. attempted to cash in on the success of the controversial first film.[1] The Fall of a Nation is considered to be the first ever film sequel.[2] Based upon The Fall of a Nation, written by the director, the film is now considered lost.[3][4]
Contents
Plot
The Fall of a Nation is an attack on the pacifism of William Jennings Bryan and Henry Ford[4] and a plea for American preparedness for war.[5]
America is unprepared for an attack by the "European Confederated Army", a European army headed by Germany. The army invades America and executes children and war veterans. However, America is saved by a pro-war Congressman who raises an army to defeat the invaders with the support of a suffragette. According to the Internet Movie Database, the film is split into three sections: "A nation falls", "The heel of the conqueror" and "The uprising two years later".
- Film stills
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The Fall of a Nation still.jpg
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The Fall of a Nation still 2.jpg
Cast
- Lorraine Huling - Virginia Holland
- Percy Standing - Charles Waldron
- Arthur Shirley - John Vassar
- Flora Macdonald - Angela Benda
- Paul Willis - Billy
- Phil Gastrock - Thomas (as Philip Gastrock)
- Clarence Geldart - General Arnold (as C.H. Geld)
Production
Some battle scenes were filmed in the same location as Birth of a Nation, at a cost of $31,000.[1]
Soundtrack
The film had a musical score produced by Victor Herbert. The Encyclopædia Britannica states that "this is probably the first original symphonic score composed for a feature film". An earlier music score was composed by Camille Saint-Saëns for the short (15-minute) film The Assassination of the Duke of Guise (1908).[6]
Reception and aftermath
Anthony Slide argues that the film was largely a commercial failure.[7] The production company, Dixon Studios, went bust in 1921, having produced only this film.[1]
See also
References
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- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Fall of a Nation at AllMovie.
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External links
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