For the Freedom of the World (1917)

MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Janiss Garza

In this tale of World War I, Gordon Harvey (E.K. Lincoln) is a U.S. citizen living in Canada. He enlists in the American segment of the Canadian army. He also saves a young woman, Dollie Milburn (Barbara Castleton), from a drunken attacker. The drunk, Ralph Perry (Romaine Fielding, who also directed), is convicted and given the choice of either serving jail time or army time. So Perry enlists and becomes a hero when he takes responsibility for a courageous act that he did not do. Harvey, meanwhile, has married Dollie and gone off to fight in France. Unbeknownst to her husband, Dollie joins up with the Red Cross and goes overseas to be near him. Perry, who wants revenge, sees her and reunites her with her husband in the officers' quarters where they are sure to be caught. The penalty for a married couple meeting on the fighting front is death, so Harvey, in desperation, shoots Dollie and asks to be sent on a mission that will surely kill him. He falls on the battlefield, but is saved by Perry. While he is recovering, Harvey receives a pardon and is reunited with Dollie, who was only wounded by his gunshot. This film's production company spent many weeks shooting at an actual Canadian training camp.