Isn't Life Wonderful

Isn't Life Wonderful is a 1924 American silent romantic drama film directed by D. W. Griffith for his company D. W. Griffith Productions, and distributed by United Artists. It was based on the short story "Isn't Life Wonderful?" in the 1923 book Defeat by Geoffrey Moss, and it was released under the alternative title Dawn.

Plot

After World War I, displaced families flood Berlin, including a Polish professor and his relatives. Food is scarce. The family finds housing but can barely afford to eat, sometimes surviving on one potato per person and horse turnips.
Paul and his cousin Inga want to build a life together. Inga finds work collecting household basics. Paul builds a hut and plants a garden, growing enough potatoes for winter.
A group of starving workers, led by one man, follows them during harvest and steals the entire crop. Another worker helps with the theft. Paul and Inga lose everything.
Inga tells Paul that despite the loss, they still have each other, and life still has meaning.

Production

Most of the scenes were filmed in Germany and Austria. Only one was filmed in New York at the studio. The film stars Carol Dempster and Neil Hamilton. The film was a failure at the box office, and it led to Griffith leaving United Artists shortly after its run in theaters.

Reception

The film did receive some positive critical notices at the time, and its stock has risen considerably since its initial release; it has for some decades been considered one of Griffith's great films.

Legacy

The title of the film was spoofed in the Charley Chase comedy Isn't Life Terrible?.

Preservation

Prints of Isn't Life Wonderful are held by the UCLA Film and Television Archive, Cinematek, Filmoteka Narodowa, Museum of Modern Art, Arhiva Națională de Filme, George Eastman Museum Motion Picture Collection, and Danish Film Institute.