Vintage original 22 x 28 in. US half-sheet poster from the important teens silent film war drama, THE BATTLE CRY OF PEACE, released in 1915 by the Vitagraph Company of America and directed by J. Stuart Blackton and Wilfrid North. In a war-torn world, Enemy agents under the leadership of "Emanon" conspire with pacifists to keep the American defense appropriations down at a time when forces of the enemy are preparing to invade. The invasion comes, and New York, Washington, and other American cities are devastated and the enemies take over the country.

There were at least 4 different half-sheets issued for this major film and this one is the "Blackton Style," which features a large sepia-tinted portrait of the film's co-director and Vitagraph co-founder, J. Stuart Blackton, in front of a pastoral background. It is unrestored in good- condition with a v-shaped tear on the top border that was reinforced with thin pieces of masking tape on the verso; small border chips and tears; and a light water stain on the bottom border as shown. It will be shipped flat between multiple pieces of sturdy cardboard to prevent damage while in transit.

The Battle Cry of Peace is a 1915 American silent film war drama directed by Wilfrid North and J. Stuart Blackton, one of the founders of Vitagraph Company of America who also wrote the scenario. The film is based on the book “Defenseless America,” by Hudson Maxim, and was distributed by V-L-S-E, Incorporated. The film stars Charles Richman, L. Rogers Lytton, and James W. Morrison. Alternate titles for this film were A Call to Arms and The Battle Cry of War. In the UK, the film was called An American Home. A sequel followed in 1917, Womanhood, the Glory of the Nation. 


While the majority of the film is now considered lost, the Cinemateket-Svenska Filminstitutet possesses one reel and fragments of footage of battle scenes survive and are housed at the George Eastman House. Upon its release, the film generated a controversy rivaling that of The Birth of a Nation because it was considered to be militaristic propaganda. Producer J. Stuart Blackton believed that the US should join the Allies involved in World War I overseas, and that was why he made the film. Former President Theodore Roosevelt was one of the film's staunchest supporters, and he persuaded Gen. Leonard Wood to lend Blackton an entire regiment of Marines to use as extras. In the same year, Blackton published the book version of The Battle Cry of Peace with pictures from the film version. The book has nothing to do with “Defenseless America” by Hudson Maxim.