Vintage original 8.25 x 11 in. US color newspaper supplement for the teens silent film war drama, WOMANHOOD, THE GLORY OF THE NATION, released in 1917 by the Vitagraph Company of America and directed by J. Stuart Blackton and William P.S. Earle.
This color supplement was from the Dallas Times Herald newspaper and the beautiful image features artwork of the film's star, Alice Joyce, wrapped in an American flag and posing in front of a red, white and blue bunting. It is in fine- condition.
*"Womanhood, the Glory of the Nation is a 1917 American lost silent drama film directed by J. Stuart Blackton and William P. S. Earle, and written by Blackton, Helmer W. Bergman, and Cyrus Townsend Brady. Released as a sequel to Vitagraph's 1915 production The Battle Cry of Peace, it was originally entitled The Battle Cry of War and was copyrighted under the title Womanhood.
According to a news item, the film was "the brain child of ex-President [Theodore] Roosevelt," who offered many suggestions during its production. According to another news item, Wally Van, another Vitagraph director, took aerial shots with his cameraman from a balloon, of exploding shells at Pittsfield, Massachusetts, while battle scenes were being filmed below. It is unclear whether Van's footage was included in the film. A third news item reported that during battle scenes shot in the Fox Hills near Grasmere, Staten Island, director Earle was severly injured by a premature mine explosion. The Thirteenth Coast Artillery, New York police from Fort Wadsworth, New York preparedness camp, and the Second Battery of Brooklyn participated in the battle scenes.
An eight-reel version of the film began a pre-release showing in Philadelphia on 19 March 1917. The film had its premiere in New York on 1 April 1917. Later versions were reviewed as five reels long. According to a modern source, J. Stuart Blackton's eldest son, James Stuart Blackton, Jr., was the assistant director, and Woodrow Wilson appeared in the film. The National Film Preservation Board (NFPB) included this film on its list of Lost U.S. Silent Feature Films as of February 2021."
*(source: AFI Catalog of Feature Films)
*"When the nation of Ruthania declares war on the United States, an army of enemy soldiers invades the U.S. and captures New York. But the American forces have prepared adequately for such an event, and hidden booby traps, trick fortifications, and remote-controlled bombs."
*(source: IMDb)
*"Vitagraph Studios, also known as the Vitagraph Company of America, was a United States motion picture studio. It was founded by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York, as the American Vitagraph Company. By 1907, it was the most prolific American film production company, producing many famous silent films.
On April 20, 1925, Smith finally gave up and sold the company to Warner Bros. for a comfortable profit. The Flatbush studio (renamed Vitaphone) was later used as an independent unit within Warner Bros., specializing in early sound shorts. Vitaphone closed the Flatbush plant in 1940."*(source: Wikipedia)
3RB