The Little American
In 1917, director and star hoped to make a drama of the terrible European events unfolding as World War I drew nation after nation into its tragic vortex of death. When The Little American emerged, it showed DeMille's polish and narrative expertise at a high artistic level, and revealed a far from routine approach to the question of American involvement in the war. DeMille's heroine was in love with a German soldier: trapped in Belgium, she learns at first hand the brutality of a soldier's life. When America entered the war, some versions of the film had to be altered so that The Little American did not forgive her German lover and work for his release from prison camp as DeMille originally intended. In any case, The Little American provided Mary Pickford with one of the most subdued and mature roles she ever acted. Treasures from the Eastman House (PFA Publication)