 | This article includes historical images which have been upscaled by an AI process. (April 2024) |
| The Spirit of the USA | |
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| Distributed by | Film Booking Offices of America |
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Running time | 8 reels |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
The Spirit of the USA is a 1924 American silent melodrama directed by Emory Johnson. FBO released the film in May 1924. The film's "All-Star" cast included Johnnie Walker and Mary Carr. Emilie Johnson, Johnson's mother, wrote both the story and screenplay. The Spirit of the USA was the fifth film in Johnson's eight-picture contract with FBO.[1][2]
The Gains family lives on a farm with their two sons, Johnnie and Silas. When the US enters World War I, Johnnie tries to enlist but is rejected and joins the Salvation Army instead. Meanwhile, Silas marries Zelda Burrows, the daughter of a wealthy neighbor who covets the Gains' farm. Silas later enlists in the Army and is killed in action.
Zelda and her father take advantage of the family's grief and falsely claim that Johnnie has also died in battle, evicting the Gains family and starting to build a dam on their property. However, Johnnie returns home, having survived the war, and fights to reclaim his family's farm. He throws Zelda off the property, blows up the dam, and marries his sweetheart Gretchen. The story ends with the family reunited and living happily ever after.
- ^ The Spirit of the USA at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- ^ "The Spirit of the USA". www.silentera.com.