Changing the Flag at Puerto Rico

Overview

A staged actuality attributed to the Biograph Company, produced during the Spanish–American War. The film depicts a Jack Tar climbing a mast in Puerto Rico, tearing down the Spanish flag, and replacing it with the American Stars and Stripes. Contemporary accounts note that such scenes brought U.S. audiences to their feet in patriotic fervor, serving as powerful wartime propaganda. The film is generally considered lost, with its existence recorded in writings by Erik Barnouw and other historians of early cinema.

Details

Status

Released

Release date

January 1, 1898

Original language

XX

Countries

United States of America

Production

American Mutoscope and Biograph Company

Budget

Not recorded

Revenue

Not recorded