Like "Wings" and "The Big Parade," "What Price Glory" was made while the events of World War I were still fresh in the memory of audiences. Directed by Raoul Walsh, the film is set against the background of war and relates the rivalry between two U.S. Marines, Sergeant Quirt, played by Edmund Lowe, and Sergeant Flagg, played by Victor McLaglen. The film opens in Peking, where the two men are Marine guards at the U.S. embassy and, when off duty, compete for the attentions of Shanghai Mabel. The action moves to the Philippines, where Quirt steals the affections of Flagg's Filipina girlfriend. In 1917 France, the two meet up for a third time; Flagg has been promoted to Captain, and Quirt is now a Top Sergeant. Echoing their past, when Quirt reappears, the animosity between the two rekindles. Despite Flagg's involvement with Charmaine de la Cognac, a French spitfire, well portrayed by Dolores del Rio, Quirt moves in on Flagg's girl once again. Like Shanghai Mabel and the Filipina, Charmaine has an eye for the handsome Quirt, and, when Flagg is sent off to battle, the pair consummate their mutual attraction.
Written by Laurence Stallings and Maxwell Anderson, "What Price Glory" throws the romantic triangle into the chaos of war; the battle scenes are convincingly staged, and, at times, feel like newsreels. While troops advance into battle amidst exploding artillery shells, the muddy trench warfare and the harrowing gas attacks send a clear anti-war message. However, the quiet moments are equally powerful and often touching. A series of flashbacks visually depict what the soldiers left behind: homes, mothers, jobs, and wives; another series of shots show the dough-boys reading letters from home, the words stretched across the screen. When the action cuts to an underground aid station, a dark grim hell of wounded and dying is exposed.
Victor McLaglen is excellent as Sergeant Flagg and holds the film together. Tall, rugged, and craggy, McLaglen is convincing as the marine leader, who is brave in battle, but falters on the romantic front. While co-star Edmund Lowe is also good in a less demanding role, he is overshadowed by McLaglen. Dolores del Rio is also fine, although at times she lapses into the overplayed mannerisms often associated with silent-film performances by those who denigrate them. Barry Norton, as a gentle private, whose mother is the center of his life, has some touching moments. Rare for a silent film, Dolores del Rio's character has a lovely musical theme, "Charmaine," composed by Erno Rapee, that was especially written for use when showing the film.
While arguably a lesser achievement than "Wings," "The Big Parade," and "All Quiet on the Western Front," "What Price Glory" nevertheless is a major achievement among the early films that recreated World War I for home audiences. Generally fine performances, convincing battle scenes, and a memorable theme song make Raoul Walsh's anti-war epic another essential classic from the silent era.
