Vintage original 8 x 10 in. US lobby card from the teens WWI-themed silent film drama, THE CLAWS OF THE HUN, released in 1918 by Paramount Pictures and directed by Victor Schertzinger. 
 
The image features an interior long shot inside the luxurious home of young John Stanton (Charles Ray) as his father, Godfrey (Melbourne MacDowell), pleads with him not to enlist in the war while cast member Henry A. Barrows watches father and son. It is unrestored in fine+ condition.
 
*"The Claws of the Hun is a 1918 American silent drama film directed by Victor Schertzinger and written by Ella Stuart Carson and R. Cecil Smith. The film stars Charles Ray, Jane Novak, Robert McKim, Dorcas Matthews, Melbourne MacDowell, and Mollie McConnell. The film was released on June 30, 1918, by Paramount Pictures.
 
A propaganda film about a bad agent trying to find the secret formula for an explosive.
 
Like many American films of the time, The Claws of the Hun was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. For example, the Chicago Board of Censors cut, in Reel 5, scene of man's hand in press, three scenes of man turning press, and shooting the American boy."
*(source: Wikipedia)
 
*"Filming was likely based in Los Angeles, CA. Location scenes were shot at Camp Kearny in San Diego County, CA. An item in the 8 June 1918 Moving Picture World, which identified Thomas H. Ince as the director, stated that Ince had received access to the military base to film “a troop train of the Fortieth (Sunshine) Division” of the U.S. Army, numbering around 28,000. Victor L. Schertzinger was actually the film’s director, while Ince served as his supervisor.
 
Theatrical release occurred on 8 July 1918. The film was touted as a patriotic picture relevant to the ongoing World War I effort. Ince and Schertzinger collaborated on a patriotic song to tie in with the picture, titled “I’m Giving You To Uncle Sam,” which was played by organist Jesse Crawford at July 1918 screenings in Los Angeles, CA, at Grauman’s Million Dollar Theatre, according to the 27 July 1918 Motion Picture News. As noted in the 3 August 1918 Motion Picture News, Ince, who penned the lyrics, and Schertzinger, who wrote the music, had similarly collaborated on the song “Peace March” for the film Civilization (1916), and the song “Peggy” for the 1916 film of the same name.
 
The National Film Preservation Board (NFPB) included The Claws of the Hun on its list of Lost U.S. Silent Feature Films as of October 2019."
*(source: AFI Catalog of Feature Films)
 
WWI3RB