THE ISLE OF LOST SHIPS (29)
Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 2:43 pm
So, I'm told that this now only exists as a silent version. Is this correct? Has anybody at all come across the sound version?
Mike O'Regan wrote:So, I'm told that this now only exists as a silent version. Is this correct? Has anybody at all come across the sound version?
Yep, only the silent version of the 1929 ISLE OF LOST SHIPS survives (I remember fondly a morning showing of it years ago at the Saginaw Cinesation where they had booked it not realizing this and we all waited while Dennis Atkinson and Terry Hoover ran over to the hotel and dragged a sleepy Bob Vaughn out of bed and over to the Theater to play the organ for it. Even half-awake, Bob played brilliantly. I can still hear him saying "what the hell's the film about?" as they hurried him up the Theater aisle) but it's a terrific film nevertheless. Even though it's a remake of the Maurice Tourneur 1923 film, it's also perfect Irvin Willat territory and he does marvellously with the story, and as he made so few talkies it would be nice to hear the soundtrack. However, fully subtitled, it feels like a silent film, not a mute sound film, and the imagery of the sea of stranded ships is really creepy and memorable. Noah Beery Sr plays another of his patented villains, and he's delightful. There's a scene in a ships galley where he is doing nothing but sitting at a table making a sandwich while Jason Robards Sr and Virginia Valli are arguing and Noah just steals it completely, apparently the scenery wasn't enough for him to chew on, he's just determined that no one will be watching Robards and Valli.
This film does not get run often or enough, Warners still owns it, it would be a nice TCM revival.
RICHARD M ROBERTS