Old Ironsides (1926)

Old Ironsides is a 1926 American silent historical war film directed by James Cruze and starring Charles Farrell, Esther Ralston, Wallace Beery, George Bancroft and Boris Karloff in a small role. It was produced and distributed by Paramount Pictures.

A novelisation by A.M.R. Wright called Sons of the Sea was published by The Readers Library, to coincide with the release of the film in England.

Plot

In 1798, "North African pirates" pillage ships in the Mediterranean Sea and sell their captives into slavery. USS Constitution is launched as part of an effort to stop them. Meanwhile, a young man determined to go to sea (Farrell) is befriended by the bosun (Beery) of the merchant ship Esther, and he joins its crew. When Esther reaches the Mediterranean, she too, along with Constitution, becomes involved in the battle against the pirates.

Cast

Charles Farrell as The Boy

Esther Ralston as The Girl

Wallace Beery as The Bos'n

George Bancroft as The Gunner. A closeup of a tattoo on Bancroft's arm reveals that his character's name is "G. Bancroft".

Charles Hill Mailes as Commodore Preble

Johnnie Walker as Stephen Decatur

Eddie Fetherston as Richard Somers

George Godfrey as The Cook

William Conklin as Esther's Father

Nick De Ruiz as The Bashaw

Effie Ellsler as Esther's Mother

Frank Jonasson as Pirate Captain

Duke Kahanamoku as Pirate Captain

Boris Karloff as A Saracen Guard

Fred Kohler as Second Mate

Harold Norton as sailor (uncredited)

Gary Cooper was in the film as an extra.

Production

The movie was shot in a widescreen process that Paramount promoted as "Magnascope". This process was used to heighten the visual effects in specific points in the film by switching to a larger "widescreen" thus enhancing the visual drama of the feature. It was reported that at the premiere of Old Ironsides the audience "stood up and cheered" when the Magnascope was activated.

This lavish oceangoing epic features battle scenes with sailing ships and pirates. The Maine-built ship Llewellyn J. Morse was refitted as USS Constitution. A real 1886 ship, S. N. Castle, was burned and sunk for the film off Catalina Island.

Box office receipts from the premiere at the Rialto Theater went to the USS Constitution restoration fund.

Availability

Paramount Studios released a VHS video tape edition in 1987.

The Museum of Modern Art in New York City exhibited a restored 35mm print of the film in December 2008.

See also

List of American films of 1926

Boris Karloff filmography

References

External links

Old Ironsides at IMDb

Lobby poster (Ha Heritage Auctions)

Stills at www.silentfilmstillarchive.com

Old Ironsides (1926) on YouTube