Patria (serial)
Patria pronounced PAYtreeuh, as in patriot is a 1917 15chapter serial film starring Irene Castle, Milton Sills, and Warner Oland, based on the novel The Last of the Fighting Channings by Louis Joseph Vance. Patria was an independent film serial funded by William Randolph Hearst in the leadup to the United States entry into World War I. The film in its original form contained antiJapanese propaganda and was investigated by a Senate committee. The Argentine title for the film was La Heroina de Nueva York.
Patria was financed with about 90,000 from William Randolph Hearst. The plot implied that the United States might soon be at war with Japan, despite Japan being an ally of the United States at the time. The original plot involved a Japanese spy ring operating in the United States and seeking gold and munitions. President Woodrow Wilson asked Hearst to modify the serial and remove antiJapanese material. As a result, Warner Olands character name in title cards was changed to Manuel Morales, and the character was shown more frequently dressed in a suit, though the Japanese characters retained their kimonos in early episodes. The action was also moved across the border to Mexico beginning in Episode 11, though as is sometimes erroneously stated, Pancho Villa did not appear in the film, Baron Huroki and a new character, General Nogi, continued on as adversaries to Patria and Captain Parr until Hurokis defeat and suicide in Episode 15.Jacques Jaccard directed scenes in California while Leopold Wharton and Theodore Wharton directed from Ithaca, New York. ........
Source: Wikipedia
