Reviewing because there are no reviews yet. This film has an important message, but it is not very well made. Part of the problem is the fictional narrative story woven throughout the film. It’s usually not a good idea to incorporate fictional elements in a documentary even when the fictional story is well made and well acted, but this is neither. Apparently, the main actors are Disney Channel alums. I grew up in the era of after school specials, and…

This film explains the evolution of Hollywood’s reaction to World War I during the 1910s. When the war began, the United States was officially neutral, and many of the films reflected this through pacifist messaging. There were even slides shown during newsreels reminding audience members not to applaud during reporting on the war.

After his re-election, Wilson established the Committee on Public Information led by George Creel. This was the propaganda arm of the government as the US plunged into…

Giving this a neutral rating, because it is incomplete. A large chunk of the third reel is missing. The version I watched on TCM was a restoration which included stills and recreated title cards for the missing scenes. The preservationists did an excellent job with this film, and I recommend it to any silent film fans.

I usually don’t care for Pickford’s acting since she almost always plays much younger than her actual age - something she got away with…

Giving this a neutral rating due to chunks being missing. The restoration of what’s left is very good and you can still follow the story. The villain seems to be making everything up as he goes along. His henchmen don’t really seem to do much of anything to help.  At one point, the dog jumps from one plane to another while in the air like he’s Tom Cruise. Not sure what the logic of the hero having his dog do…