| The Birth of Patriotism | |
| Director: | E. Magnus Ingleton |
| Starring: | Irene Hunt Ann Forrest Leo Pierson |
| Cinematography: | Duke Hayward |
| Studio: | Universal Film Manufacturing Company |
| Distributor: | Universal Film Manufacturing Company |
| Runtime: | 50 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | Silent (English intertitles) |
The Birth of Patriotism is a 1917 American silent war drama film directed by E. Magnus Ingleton and starring Irene Hunt, Ann Forrest, and Leo Pierson.[1] Based on a story by I.A.R. Wylie, it is set in England during the First World War.
Carelessness on the part of Johnny Roberts and the growing drudgery of married life causes an estrangement between Johnny and his wife Mary. The final break comes when Johnny, sick with a fever, returns home to be accused of drunkenness by Mary. Johnny leaves his wife to seek solace in Anne, the innkeeper's daughter, and the two live happily together until the outbreak of the war. When England is threatened, Johnny enlists and is sent to the front. In the meantime, Mary, with her little baby, seeks Anne out to ask for some of her husband's money to take care of the child. A mutual understanding springs up between the two women and upon Johnny's arrival home, the self-sacrificing Anne disappears and Johnny returns to his wife and child.