News & Research Updates on our Publications about the American Cinematographers and Films of World War I
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Movie Stars on Liberty Loan Drive (USA, 1918)
During World War I the American government sold Liberty Bonds to support the Allied cause. Subscribing to the bonds became a symbol of patriotic duty in the United States.
4th Liberty Loan poster (1918)
The response to the first Liberty Bond was unenthusiastic and Secretary of the Treasury William Gibbs McAdoo reacted to the sales problems by creating an aggressive campaign to popularize the bonds. The government used the Committee on Public Information, America's wartime propaganda agency, to help sell Liberty Bonds. Famous movie stars such as Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin were among the celebrities that made public appearances promoting the idea that purchasing a liberty bond was the patriotic thing to do.
Hollywood Film Stars
The National Archives in Washington, D.C., has an interesting 5-reel film on various Liberty Loan campaigns that were organized throughout the country. Reel 2 is of special interest because it shows film stars Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and Marie Dressler selling bonds during a Washington parade. Reel 3 has scenes showing Japanese movie star Sessue Hayakawa and Blanche Sweet speaking and selling bonds in Hollywood.
We uploaded these scenes showing the American film stars promoting Liberty Loans on our YouTube channel.
They made all those impassioned speeches without microphones or public address systems. Chaplin seems to be rehearsing his speeches for THE GREAT DICTATOR made over a generation later. WWI was the very first time that film stars were used to raise money for a war effort. The reason is simple: prior to about 1912 there were no film stars!
They made all those impassioned speeches without microphones or public address systems. Chaplin seems to be rehearsing his speeches for THE GREAT DICTATOR made over a generation later. WWI was the very first time that film stars were used to raise money for a war effort. The reason is simple: prior to about 1912 there were no film stars!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed that. Thanks for sharing!
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