The End of the Road (1919 film)

The End of the Road is a 1919 American silent drama film produced by the American Social Hygiene Association.[1] The film was directed by Lieutenant Edward H. Griffith for the purposes of health propaganda. The plot follows the lives of two young women - one raised by "the right kind of mother" and the other by a mother that is judged to be wrong.[2] This film was targeted at young women with warnings about premarital sex and venereal disease and was notably produced during World War I.

The End of the Road
Newspaper advertisement for film
Directed byEdward H. Griffith
Produced byAmerican Social Hygiene Association
Written byEdward H. Griffith
Screenplay byKatharine Bement Davis
StarringRichard Bennett
Claire Adams
Production
company
American Social Hygiene Association / Famous Players-Lasky / United States Department of War
Distributed byPublic Health Films
Release date
February 16, 1919
Running time
7 reels
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)

A 15-minute clip of the film can be found online while the full movie can be accessed at the National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, Maryland.[3][4]

Plot

As described with colorful language in a film magazine,[5] Mary Lee (Adams), at the age of seven, is told the truth about life by her mother. Vera Lynch (Fair), her playmate, is deceived by her parents in the approved manner. At graduation time Mary is sought in marriage by Paul Horton, but she puts him off to study nursing. Vera's mother sends her off to New York City with instructions to make a money marriage. Mary also goes to New York City to work in a hospital and becomes acquainted with Dr. Bell, who falls in love with her. They rescue Vera from a drunken companion on one occasion, but are unable to prevent her from accepting the unlawful love of the same wealthy young man later on. When she develops a loathsome disease, they ensure that she receives proper medical care. Dr. Bell and Mary go to France for the war in the medical service. Paul Horton previously had made a disgraceful proposition to Mary, and she now accepts Dr. Bell's proposal of marriage. There are numerous subplots involving other characters in the film.

Cast

References
  1. "The End of the Road". American Film Institute. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  2. Davis, Katharine (1918). Social Hygiene and the War. II, Woman's Part in Social Hygiene. New York City: American Social Hygiene Association. pp. 32–36. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  3. Sorrell, Evelyn. "The End of the Road (excerpt)". YouTube. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  4. "The End of the Road (1919)". IMDb. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  5. "Reviews: The End of the Road". Exhibitors Herald. New York City: Exhibitors Herald Company. 8 (19): 46. May 3, 1919.
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