Hearts of the World
AKA Love’s Struggle in the USA
(1918) American
B&W : 13 reels
Directed by D.W. Griffith

Cast: Lillian Gish [Marie Stephenson, the girl], Robert Harron [Douglas Gordon Hamilton, the boy], Dorothy Gish [the little disturber], Adolphe Lestina [the grandfather], Josephine Crowell [the mother], Jack Cosgrave [Mr, Hamilton, the boy’s father], Kate Bruce [Mrs. Hamilton, the boy’s mother], Ben Alexander [the littlest brother], Marion Emmons [the boy’s brother], Francis Marion [the boy’s brother], Robert Anderson [Monsieur Cuckoo], George Fawcett [village carpenter], George Siegmann [von Strohm], Fay Holderness [the innkeeper], L. Lowry [deaf and blind musician], Eugène Pouyet [a poilu], Anna May Walthall [French peasant girl], Yvette Duvoisin [refugee], Herbert Sutch [a French major], George Nicholls [a German sergeant], Mary Gish [refugee mother], Mary Hay [dancer], Erich von Stroheim [German soldier], Noël Coward [boy with wheelbarrow], David Lloyd George; Alphonse Dufort [a poilu], Jean Dumercier [a poilu], George Loyer [a poilu], Gaston Riviere [stretcher bearer], Jules Lemontier [stretcher bearer], Mrs. Harron [woman with daughter], Mary Harron [wounded refugee girl], Jessie Harron [refugee], Johnny Harron (John Harron) [boy with barrel], William Elliott, Rene Raphael Viviani [himself], Sir Edward Grey [himself]

Famous Players-Lasky Corporation production; distributed on State Rights basis [?] by Paramount Pictures Corporation [Artcraft Pictures]? / Scenario by M. Gaston de Tolignac (D.W. Griffith) translated into English by Captain Victor Marier (D.W. Griffith). Set design by Frank ‘Huck’ Wortman. Lillian Gish’s peasant dress designed by Nathan of London. Military technical advisor Erich von Stroheim. Prop boy Fred Guiol. Cinematography by G.W. Bitzer and Hendrik Sartov + [Alfred Machin and Captain Kleinschmidt (some battle sequences), D.P. Cooper (European photography), and Karl Brown]. Edited by James Smith and Rose Smith. Music score arranged by Carli Elinor + [D.W. Griffith]. / © 12 March 1918 by David W. Griffith (D.W. Griffith) [LP12521]. Preview screening (as Love’s Struggle) 15 February 1918. Premiere 12 March 1918 at Clune’s Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. New York premiere 4 April 1918 at the 44th Street Theatre in New York, New York. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.37:1 format. / The production was shot in France and England. Duvoisin was a member of the Comédie Française theater company. The film was originally shown with a faux newsreel prologue, with intertitles featuring a border title of “British Official War Films,” showing Griffith at the war front and with British Prime Minister David Lloyd George. The film was released in a roadshow version before its general release on a State Rights basis. The film was rereleased in a “Peace Edition” on 11 August 1919, with additional scenes added, premiering at the George M. Cohan Theatre in New York, New York. The film was recut down to eight reels after the end of WW1. [?] One source says the film was distributed by State Regent. [?] Limbacher-Feature p. 105 lists the film as a Comstock production, distributed by World Film Corporation.

Drama: World War I.

Survival Status: Print exists.

Keywords: France - World War I: 28 July 1914-11 November 1918

Listing updated: 21 October 2006.

References: Film credits, film viewing : Bardèche-History pp. 104, 288; Barry-Griffith pp. 28, 32, 39, 52-54, 57, 60; Bohn-Light pp. 60, 61; Brownlow-Behind p. 12; Brownlow-Parade pp. 89, 90, 93; Cary-Hollywood p. 73; Cooper-Dark p. 57; Dowd-Vidor pp. 18, 29; Drew-Speaking pp. 164, 219; Everson-American pp. 81, 98, 114, 156, 186, 187, 370; Fell-History pp. 56, 113; Higashi-Virgins pp. 7-8, 14, 17; Hirschhorn-Universal p. 32; Katchmer-Eighty p. 16; Limbacher-Feature p. 105; Parish-Combat pp. 206-207; Perry-British pp. 43, 60c, 310; Pitts-Hollywood p. 40; Schelly-Langdon p. 9; Shipman-Cinema p. 64; Sinyard-Silent pp. 32, 65, 75; Skretvedt-LaurelHardy p. 442; Slide-Aspects p. 20; Smith-Colman p. 47; Taylor-Hitchcock p. 47; Walker-Garbo p. 41; Weaver-Twenty p. 145, 146 : ClasIm-278 p. 40 : Website-AFI.