Synopsis
After the US enters World War I, James Apperson (Gilbert) enlists. Stationed in a French village, he meets Melisanda (Adorée), and they fall in love. She clings desperately to his transport as he leaves for the front with his company. The company marches through woods into a battle. Men are shot down all around, but the soldiers continue walking toward the German lines. Reaching the front, Apperson and his friends shelter in a foxhole. His friends are killed, and Apperson is severely wounded by machine gun fire. He wakes up in a military hospital. His leg has been partially amputated. He is sent home where his proud parents greet him. After the war, Apperson returns to France. On the country road near her village, he and Melisande joyfully reunite.
Discussion
One of the most famous and profitable films of the silent era,
The Big Parade catapulted director King Vidor to the head of his
profession. Laurence Stallings, who wrote the story and had himself lost a leg in
the war, did not want John Gilbert cast. He feared that Gilbert would not be
forceful and that his presence would make the film a confection.
However,
Gilbert gives a strong, unaffected, and sympathetic performance. In a famous
scene, he teaches Renée Adorée's character how to chew gum, a scene
added to the film after Vidor observed writer
Donald Ogden Stewart, visiting the set,
chewing gum.
TCM Film Festival, 2013
The Big Parade was featured at the 2013 TCM Classic Film Festival in
the Essentials
category, reserved for films with enduring value that
demonstrate filmmaking at its hightest level.
Further Reading