The Spirit of the USA (Silent) (DVD)

The clarion call of World War I sounds out across America, reaching the rural farm of Thomas and Mary Gains. The elderly couple's two sons couldn't be more different, with sickly Johnny anxious to join the army and spineless Silas terrified of dying overseas. Silas quickly marries to avoid the draft, not realizing his shrewish bride Zelda is only interested in the family farm. Johnny is declared "4F", and settles for handing out donuts to soldiers on the Western Front. Silas finally does join up to escape from Zelda's insults, but is immediately killed. Ironically chancing upon his brother's body, Johnny grabs his uniform and rifle and becomes a hero. However, a warm welcome isn't waiting for him back home at war's end. Zelda and her new lover have taken up permanent residence, with Thomas and Mary thrown out on the street. But Johnny, toughened by war, isn't having any of it. There will be two more casualties before he hangs up his rifle for good...

A shockingly brutal war melodrama, The Spirit of the U.S.A. is the work of the unusual mother-and-son team of Emilia and Emory Johnson. A working actor in the teens and twenties, Emory started getting his mother jobs as a scenarist in Hollywood beginning with The Sea Lion (1921), in which he starred with Hobart Bosworth. The following year Emory moved into directing, eventually making 13 films, almost all of which were written by his mother. This is probably the only instance of such a maternal collaboration in film history. Leading man Johnnie Walker was a busy silent era actor best remembered for Wine Of Youth (1924), Lightning Reporter (1926) and The Matinee Idol (1928).

BONUS: The Doughboy: Bumbling infantryman 'Snub' Pollard is released upon the Kaiser's hordes in this uproarious comedic take on World War I. Directed by James Davis.

• silent