Love and war / motion picture. 19th century, Library of Congress collection

"An illustrated song telling the story of a hero who leaves for the war as a private, is promoted to the rank of captain for bravery in service, meets the girl of his choice, who is a Red Cross nurse on the field, and finally returns home triumphantly as an officer to the father and mother to whom he bade good bye as a private. The film presents this beautiful song picture in six scenes, each of which has a separate song, making the entire series a complete and effective novelty. PARTING. -- "Our hero boy to the war has gone." Words and music. CAMPING. -- "What! A letter from home." Words and music. FIGHTING. -- The battle prayer. "Father, on Thee I Call." Words and music. CONVALESCING. -- "Weeping, Sad and Lonely." Words and music. SORROWING. -- The mother's lament, "Come back, my dear boy, to me." Words and music. RETURNING. -- When our hero boy comes back again. Hurrah! Hurrah! "Star Spangled Banner." Words and music. The above scene can be illustrated either by a soloist, quartette or with an orchestra, and with or without stereopticon slides. This series of animated pictures, when properly illustrated or announced by stereopticon reading matter, should make a great success. Length 200 feet, complete with words of song and music"--Edison films catalog.
77713 U.S. Copyright Office
Copyright: James H. White; 28Nov1899; 77713.
Original main title lacking.
Duration: 3:02 at 16 fps.
According to the Edison films catalog, this film was originally composed of six scenes, however, LC copies include only four scenes, which appear to be PARTING, FIGHTING, SORROWING, and RETURNING.
One of the Edison "Picture songs", meant to be shown with synchronized live music, composed especially for the film.
According to the summary in Early motion pictures, the battle scenes are set during the Spanish-American War.
Paper print shelf number (LC 1694) was changed when the paper prints were re-housed.
Additional holdings for this title may be available. Contact reference librarian.
Probably filmed in June-September 1899, in Orange, New Jersey.
Sources used: Copyright catalog, motion pictures, 1894-1912; Musser, C. Edison motion pictures 1890-1900, p. 526-527; Musser, C. Before the nickelodeon, p. 149-150; Early motion pictures, p. 189; Edison films catalog, no. 94, March 1900, p. 3 [MI]; Edison films catalog, no. 105, July 1901, p. 13.
Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as digital files.
Early motion pictures : the Paper Print Collection in the Library of Congress / by Kemp R. Niver. Library of Congress. 1985.