This November marks the 100th anniversary of director King Vidor’s silent 1925 World War I epic, “The Big Parade.” Chronicling the experiences of an American doughboy, from his enthusiastic enlistment to his baptism of fire on the mud-caked battlefields of the Western Front, “The Big Parade” stands not only as a landmark achievement in silent film making, but as an invaluable artifact of American popular culture; one that continues to serve as a fitting testament to the horrors of war and the sacrifices borne by our nation’s veterans. Written by Laurence Stalling, a former captain in the United States Marine Corps who was wounded in action, “The Big Parade” melds the best of silent Hollywood spectacle with the poignancy of an engrossing, character-based drama.

Hosted by: Wm. R. “Buddy” Avila, PhD
Sponsored by: The Scarab Film Series