The Battle Cry of Peace
by J. Stuart Blackton
This work of fiction is based on the influential book "Defenseless America" by Hudson Maxim. Or as an introductory blurb states, Blackton "...took the facts and statistics contained in Hudson Maxim's 'Defenseless America' and around them wove an absorbing story."
Blackton's Vitagraph film company also produced "The Battle Cry of Peace" as a movie in 1915. I got interested in it because it is listed in several Science Fiction film reference books. My take is that it does classify as "science fiction" as much as such later grim all-but-documentary cautionary tales as "The War Game" or "The Day After". However, unlike those films "The Battle Cry of Peace" is very much a plea for armament. It even anticipates the preparedness necessary for aerial warfare to a degree.
I got the pamphlet-sized literary film tie-in via an online used bookseller. Although there is only a small roll of this film in the George Eastman House archives, the pamphlet was sprinkled with scenes from the film. This gave me a good, solid impression of what the cinema version was all about. (Slipped in my pamphlet as an added bonus was a program for the showing at the Orpheum Theater with cast list). This was one bleak piece of work.
SPOILERS
John Harrison gets inspired by a speech given by Maxim (who it seems is a character in the story). His love-interest is Virginia Vandergriff. Her wealthy father is involved heavily in the pacifist movement. He in turn is encouraged in this by the traitorous Emanon. Emanon also has his eye on Virginia.
However Americans like John, believing in readiness, are in the minority.
New York is bombarded from the sea and eventually occupied. John, Virginia and both of their families meet with fatality in one manner or the other. (The only thing to even remotely cheer about is that Emanon meets his demise also.)
And...
The End.
The point of the film is thus poignantly made.
I also got a reading copy of Maxim's non-fiction work and I found it very dated. I can't say that I found it worth reading in entirety. Many pages were devoted to such topics as the best way for a fast-moving fleet to surround a slower one. But although the source book is out-of-date, I found J. Stuart Blackton's story thought-provoking.
written: 9/23/2001