This is a vintage original 11x14 in. US lobby card from the 1930's alcohol-themed drama, THE STRUGGLE, released in 1931 by United Artists and directed by D.W. Griffith. Based upon a screen story by Anita Loos and John Emerson, Hal Skelly and Zita Johann co-star as a young couple whose marriage is jeopardized by
the husband's descent into alcoholism.
The image is from the very last scene (and, we believe, even the final shot) and features an interior medium shot of recovering alcoholic Jimmie Wilson (Hal Skelly) lying in bed as his young daughter, Mary (Edna Hagan), gives him a hug as his wife, Florrie (Zita Johann), lovingly holds his hand to comfort him just before the final fade-out. This vintage original lobby card is unrestored in fine- condition with a clean 3 in. vertical tear on the top border that does into Miss Johann's hair that connect with a 1 in. scratch below it and light signs of wear on the corners. There are no pinholes, tears, stains, or other flaws and the beautiful color tints are fresh and vibrant without any signs of fading.
The lobby card offered here represents the very last image in a film directed by D.W. Griffith and is and important piece of American film history.
Zita Johann is best remembered today for her performance as "Helen Grosvenor" the following year in Universal's classic horror film, The Mummy, starring Boris Karloff.
The Struggle was the final film in the 23-year directorial career of "the father of film," D.W. Griffith" and was his only other
full-sound film besides Abraham
Lincoln (1930). It was made primarily at the Audio-Cinema studios in
the Bronx, New York with some outdoor filming on the streets of the
Bronx. The film was inspired in part by Griffith's
own battles with alcoholism and he partially funded it himself with a 1929 tax refund that
had been invested in stocks that did well despite the Depression. Filming took
place from July to August 1931. Unfortunately for Griffith, the film received
poor reviews and was not a success at the box office. In 1935, United Artists
considered re-releasing the film but could not get a Code Seal from the Breen
Office unless cuts were made, so decided not to do it. In 1940, another distributor
(B.A. Mills) considered re-releasing it under the title Ten Nights in a Barroom but
encountered similar difficulties. Griffith never made another movie although he
did marry an actress from the film, Evelyn Baldwin. Longtime Griffith actress Kate Bruce (who started with Griffith in 1908 when he began directing) made her final film appearance in this film as Granny; this was also the final film for actor Claude Cooper.
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