Betsy Ross (1917)

Lack of good storyline.

The first must-see film of the year.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

1917 historical epic about the creation of the flag. Actually it's a soap opera about the love lives of Betsy and her sister who both have an interest in a British soldier. It's a tad too static for current tastes, though I'm sure that that the doe eyed romance scenes probably didn't play all that well back in the day. The film doesn't seem to be serious or wholly about anything and even with some violence I wasn't sure if this wasn't suppose to be lighthearted.(One poster on IMDb said that he thinks it was due to the score on the Millcreek release, but I had the sound off so I don't think it's the music, rather it's that everyone seems to be smiling.) Only for silent movie completeists.

Not being extremely familiar with the customs and ways of the 18th century, I cannot vouch for whether or not the story depicted in this film is historically accurate. However, viewed purely as an example of early story telling, it is certainly watchable, if not exactly thrilling. I watched this off of a public domain DVD (that also contains three other old movies), and the quality of the film transfer varies a bit throughout. In some places, it's jittery and in others, a bit dark and blurry, but overall, considering it's age, these are very minor details. One should be thankful when anything this old survives at all.Alice Brady is quite likable in the title role, as are the women who play her sisters. It starts out humorously, with the girls' stern religious father scolding them for playing the piano (which I can only assume, was considered to be an "unladylike" activity among Quaker society in the 1770s). A couple of minutes later, they are seen in another room laughing and making a mockery of his tantrum. However, as the film progresses, the subject matter becomes more and more serious. While there are some slow spots in the middle, it eventually concludes with a cliffhanger, and even a trick ending.The main problem with the version I viewed, is that the musical accompaniment, featuring a theatre organ, remains inappropriately whimsical throughout, even during a pair of scenes involving violent deaths. Although the film is listed as being a historical romantic drama, this often gave the impression that one was watching a comedy without any punchlines. So be forewarned, should you view this off of Mill Creek Entertainment's "Family Collection" DVD, you might want to consider turning the sound down.