Two films, one week, same book — 1912's wild cinematic twin birth.
Ouida's novel made into a 1912 film -- released within days of another 2-reeler based on the same story.
Production
Rushed release to beat rival studio's identical adaptation.
Costume
French Foreign Legion kits and Edwardian desert glam.
Director
George Nichols
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Thanhouser and Famous Players released competing Under Two Flags adaptations within days of each other in 1912, sparking one of cinema's earliest 'twin film' rivalries.
Ouida's novel was a massive bestseller that romanticized French colonialism; the 1912 films arrived as the Foreign Legion was becoming mythologized in popular culture.
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