NFPF News

New National Film Registry Films Online! Watch "The Oath of the Sword" and "The Maid of McMillan"

Masao and Hisa gaze across the ocean that will separate them in The Oath of the Sword (1914)

Today the Library of Congress announced the latest additions to the National Film Registry. Two of those films were preserved through NFPF grants and can be viewed for free on the NFPF’s website. They are: The Oath of the Sword, a three-reel drama produced by the Japanese American Film Company in 1914, which makes it the earliest surviving film made by Asian Americans; and The Maid of McMillan, the earliest known student film, shot in 1916 on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis. Both are presented with notes and musical accompaniment.

The Japanese American Film Company, which produced The Oath of the Sword, was formed in Los Angeles, and according to trade press was “the first company in America to be owned, controlled and operated by Japanese.” During that time Japanese immigrants were legally barred from owning land in California or even becoming naturalized citizens. Shot in Glendale, CA and surrounding areas, Oath tells the story of Masao and Hisa, two young lovers in a Japanese fishing village who are separated when Masao leaves to study at the University of California, Berkeley. He becomes a big man on campus, but back in Japan a deceitful American moves in to take his place. The plot draws on the Madame Butterfly tropes familiar to American audiences during that period, but with a significant twist.

The Oath of the Sword is also significant for having its Japanese characters played entirely by Japanese cast members. Among the players making his film debut was Yutaka Abe, who went on to appear in 11 American films, including Cecil B. DeMille’s The Cheat (1915) and the Chinese American independent feature Lotus Blossom (1921) before becoming a major director in Japan. Evidence suggests that The Oath of the Sword is the only surviving film by the Japanese American Film Company, which during a time of rising prejudice sought to craft more respectful portrayals of Asian Americans. The film was preserved through a collaboration between the Japanese American National Museum and George Eastman Museum, which had safeguarded the only surviving print. The newly composed piano score is by Michael Mortilla.

The titular Maid of McMillan (1916).

The Maid of McMillan, which anticipates Hollywood college films such as Harold Lloyd’s The Freshman (1925), was created by Thyrsus, Washington University’s student drama club. The film was made entirely by students, though cameraman J.D. Wooster Lambert was a keen amateur filmmaker and also scion of the Listerine mouthwash company. Thanks to Lambert, the film shows an impressive level of craft, considering the time and circumstances of its production.

Described by its makers as “a romance of college life,” The Maid of McMillan is a love story between the titular “maid” of the McMillan women’s dormitory and a jock who shows school spirit by putting his track team before himself. The film transcended its campus popularity and had a run in St. Louis theaters. Maid of McMillan was preserved by Washington University in St. Louis, which also commissioned a new piano score from David Drazin.

Read more about the other 23 films added to the National Film Registry at the National Film Preservation Board website.