In an archive1912Thanhouser CompanyTwo reelsLiterary adaptation

Under Two Flags

Name: Under Two Flags
Genre: Literary adaptation
Released: 1912-07-07

No copy you can watch online. A print survives in an archive but has not been digitised, so what follows is the record rather than the film.

The story

“With Katherine Horn as Cigarette, William Garwood as Bertie Cecil, and Flo LaBadie as the ‘Silver Pheasant,’ the Thanhouser company two-reel production of Under Two Flags is from Ouida’s well-known story. Two kinds of one-sheets, three-sheets and attractive heralds are available for exhibitors who want to feature the subject, which is described as better than Jess, a picture of somewhat similar character. The film tells how Bertie Cecil, heir and eldest son of an English viscount, fled from his regiment to shield his brother, who had committed forgery. He took the blame upon himself, and the search was soon dropped, for it was believed that he had been killed in a railroad wreck. The fact was that he reached Algeria, where he enlisted in the French Foreign Legion. In that country, strange though it was to him, he won fame as a gallant soldier, but failed a promotion because his colonel, for personal reasons, hated him. After twelve years under an alien flag, he had only reached the grade of corporal, although his merit was unquestioned.

“A beautiful young vivandier, Cigarette, met Cecil and fell in love with him. Cigarette had been with the army all her young life, and her bravery and patriotism won all hearts. She saved the detachment from which Cecil was assigned from destruction by the hostile Arabs, and to recompense her, it was decreed that she be made a member of the Legion of Honor. When the presentation was made by a marshal of France, a number of English people, guests of the colonel, witnessed it. Cigarette, who watched Cecil jealously, saw that he recognized the strangers, although they did not notice him. A day or so later, the one Englishman and the party unexpectedly surprised Cecil, who was kissing a tiny purse. This woman was the sister of Cecil’s dearest friend, Lord Rockingham, and years before when she was a young girl, she had given it to Cecil with all her pocket money, because she was sorry when he lost a horse race. He refused the money but made her very happy by asking for, and retaining the purse. This link of the love of long ago betrayed Bertie’s secret, and he confessed his identity but made the woman promise not to breathe a word of it to anyone. They met frequently, however, and one evening were surprised by the colonel. He made a sneering remark and Cecil knocked him down. For this serious offense Cecil was tried by court martial and sentenced to death.

“Cigarette, who by this time had realized that her hero was not for her, decided to save him. By a wonderful ride she reached the headquarters of the marshal, sent in her Legion of Honor ensign as a credential, and by her argument won a pardon for the brave soldier. Then she started back again in her race against death. On the way she encountered a sand storm, but fought her way through it. Her horse was exhausted, so she made her way to a camp of Arabs, knowing that they sought her life. She told them that she would consent to be their prisoner, on condition that they speedily forwarded the pardon in time to save a brave soldier unjustly condemned. The Arabs, won by her heroism, set her at liberty, gave her a fresh horse, and she reached the camp just as the firing squad raised their muskets. Rushing in front of the prisoner, she waved the pardon in the air, and received in her own body the bullets that were fired at Cecil. She lived long enough to tell him that she knew he would be happy with the English girl, and died. Cecil, his honor restored by the tardy confession of his weak brother, returned to England to claim the fortune and title that was his, his father having died. And although his married life was happy, he often thought of the girl who gave up her life for him.”

Summary from The Moving Picture News · 30 June 1912

Background of the scenario

Under Two Flags, a story by Ouida, was first published in 1867. Other Ouida stories dramatized for the screen by Thanhouser were: A Dog of Flanders, a children’s story, and one of several tales Ouida wrote about animals, published in 1872, and released as a Thanhouser film on May 19, 1914; and Moths, an 1880 story, released as a film by Mutual in September 1913.

Ouida was the nom de plume of the author, Maria Louise de la Ramée (January 1, 1839-January 25, 1908), who was born the daughter of a French teacher in Bury St. Edmunds, England. Her pseudonym was taken her childhood pronunciation of her own name, phonetically as “wee-dah.” Ouida began contributing stories to Bentley’s Miscellany in 1859, and by 1865 she had established a wide reputation. From 1860 to 1874 she lived mostly in Italy, where she wrote a long string of novels and stories. She turned 45 novels, written with great emotion, and mostly set in a fashionable and unrealistic world. By the 1890s her popularity had declined, and by 1904 she was penniless.

What the papers said

3 reviews · 1 advertisement

Read in full · 1 min

“Ouida’s novel needs no introduction nor does its story require any repetition. Its fame has been doubled through stage production lasting over a decade, and therefore this first photo-dramatization is worthy of serious consideration. It has been splendidly staged by the Thanhouser Company and is acted in a thoroughly artistic manner throughout. It is in two reels, the first opening with the introduction of Lieutenant Bertie Cecil, his brother and Lady Venetia. The race course scenes are remarkably well taken, full of action, life and excitement. Then the disgrace of Bertie is shown when he sacrifices himself for his brother and makes his escape from England.

“The second reel takes up the narrative from the time he has fallen in love with Cigarette. This last half is full of dramatic action. The desert scenes are pictured with a marvelous naturalness. The Arabs are picturesque in their make-ups, are costumed finely and their horses are just what one would expect to see in real life. The skirmishes are exciting and exceedingly well directed, while the sand storm is one of the finest effects recently photographed by the motion camera. The death of Cigarette is dramatically acted without being overdone, and the ending of the story follows that of the book quite as closely as any other portion of the production. The offering should have a wide and enviable sale. It deserves every success and the Thanhouser Company may again feel justly proud of a feature offering released as a regular film.”

The Morning Telegraph · 14 July 1912

Read in full · 1 min

“The play is in two reels. There are some strong scenes in each. The pictures of the departure of the tally-ho coach and the horse race are features in themselves, especially the latter. There is a train wreck that is well done. The second reel, if anything, is better than the first. There is a sand storm in the desert which Cigarette, the vivandier, figures, which is effective. The work of the whole company is of the best and the same may be said of the directing.”

The Moving Picture World · 20 July 1912

More reviews

17 July 1912The New York Dramatic Mirror2 min

“Here is told over again Ouida’s interesting drama of life in the foreign legion of Africa, with many interesting scenes and a good deal of passable acting. The story is no doubt familiar to all, but in moving picture form it is not, and a brief synopsis will not be out of place. Lieutenant Bertie Cecil leaves England and his sweetheart because his brother has forged a note, and Bertie, who is the oldest son, takes the blame. He and his servant enlist as privates in the foreign legion, and for the sake of his brother Bertie remains in exile. Little Cigarette, the pride of the regiment, loves Bertie, but the latter remains true to his English girl. The colonel, however, cordially detests the Englishman, and the climax comes when the colonel entertains the English friends, among whom are Bertie’s brother, who became a lord on the death of the father, and the girl that Bertie left behind. The brothers meet, but Bertie decides to stay after, and the girl also gives audience to Bertie, a fact that Cigarette finds out, as well as the colonel. The latter makes an insulting remark about the girl and is immediately struck down by Bertie, who is later court martialed and sentenced to be shot at sunrise.

“Now comes the ride of Cigarette, made famous in the novel by Ouida’s descriptive power. Cigarette gets from the younger brother the confession of his guilt, rides to the marshal’s office, and gets a pardon. On the wild ride back she encounters a sandstorm, but the brave little French girl comes through in safety. She flings herself from the horse, waving the pardon in the air, and rushes in front of the Englishman as he stands against the wall waiting to be shot. But already the bullets have been sped on their way and Cigarette receives in her own body the messenger of death. Then in the last moment before she dies Cigarette gets the kiss that she has so long awaited. Then the Englishman, married to the girl of his own country, returns home, to remember always the little French maiden who gave her life for him. The picture is in two reels.”

10 August 1912The Moving Picture World · The Mutual Film Corporation1 min

“Thanhouser’s Under Two Flags. Released Sunday, July 7. The only ORIGINAL film presentation of Ouida’s great play. The only picture with a spectacular race track scene and other details mentioned in the original story.”

Note: This description was to counter the competitive Gem release of the same story.

ARTICLE by Clarence Sinn, The Moving Picture World, July 20, 1912:

“The Plaza, one of Chicago’s numerous vaudeville theatres which is showing pictures for the summer season, has raised its scale of prices from five to 10 cents—‘Kidlets Five,’ the announcement reads. I stopped in this theatre Sunday afternoon to see the Thanhouser two-reel picture of Under Two Flags—a good picture. The audience gave it a ‘reception’—that is, they applauded the title before the picture began.” (At this point Mr. Sinn suggested 11 different musical pieces suitable for accompanying the first reel and 16 for the second reel. Each melody was keyed to a specific subtitle or scene.)

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Cast and crew

Director: Lucius J. Henderson
Cast: Florence La Badie as “The Silver Pheasant”
: Harry Benham
: Katherine Horn as as Cigarette, the girl heroine of the story
: William Bowman as Bertie Cecil’s brother
: William Garwood as Bertie Cecil
: William J. Bowman
: William Russell as the colonel

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More about this film

Bowers’ notes: Two Independent companies, Thanhouser and Gem (a division of Universal), released different two-reel versions of Under Two Flags at about the same time; the Thanhouser offering appeared on July 7, 1912, and the Gem offering was distributed two days later on July 9th. Thanhouser printed a prominent notice in its advertisement in The Moving Picture World, July 6, 1912, and referred readers to a special announcement on page 89 - where a half page ad about this film was to be found. The week before, in The Moving Picture World, June 29, 1912, the Universal Film Manufacturing Company took out a full page ad to advertise a film of the same title, Under Two Flags, released by its Gem division, Tuesday, July 9, in two reels. This was a very interesting coincidence. The Gem version was directed by George O. Nichols, who had recently left Thanhouser, where he had been the company’s most prominent director and had been responsible for a number of great successes, including the David Copperfield series, She, and, most recently, Called Back. As it turned out, by year’s end Nichols would leave Gem. Appearing in the Gem film were Vivian Prescott in the role of Cigarette and Herschal Mayall (also spelled as Mayal) as the errant soldier. The Gem film is discussed in The Moving Picture World, July 13, 1912, and again in the issue of October 12, 1912. A synopsis of the Gem version appeared in The Moving Picture World, July 13, 1912, but no synopsis of the Thanhouser film was ever given in that publication. Perhaps the editors thought that one synopsis of Under Two Flags was sufficient for that week. Later in the same year, Thanhouser and Gem had a virtually identical conflict. Thanhouser released its version of The Woman in White on October 20th, and Gem released its treatment of The Woman in White two days later, on the 22nd. 2. A scene from the Thanhouser film appeared on the cover of the July 13, 1912 issue of The Moving Picture World. 3. The release date was erroneously given as July 1, 1912 in an article in The Moving Picture World, issue of June 29, 1912.

From Volume II: Filmography of Q. David Bowers’ Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History, reproduced with permission and unchanged. Read the history of 1912 →

Cite as: Bowers, Q. David. Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History, “Under Two Flags”. thanhouser.org/films/under-two-flags/

Where a print is held

Held by: British Film Institute, National Film Archive
Format: 35 mm nitrate tinted, safety negative, viewing print
Completeness: Unknown