Whatever Happened to "The American"?

Movies have always been expensive propositions. Even MGM's famed assembly line often produced expensive films. That's one reason why even films hated by everyone involved still make their way to theaters; it's too costly to leave them on the shelf for too long. Unfortunately, some of them never get off that shelf- like the 1927 film The American.

The film starred silent film stars Bessie Love and Charles Ray. Little is known of the plot, though the film's alternate title was The Flag Maker. Could it have been about Betsy Ross? Some people described it as being a western, so maybe not. Little is also known about why it didn't get released, though it most likely had to do with how it was filmed. Producers used an experimental widescreen camera, so it probably couldn't be shown on standard movie screens. Unfortunately, this film got lost, waiting for theaters to catch up with it technology-wise. Hopefully the film might be found in time for its 90 year anniversary next year, though the odds of that happening are slim.