Old Ironsides (film)

Old Ironsides
File:Old Ironsides poster.jpg Film poster
Directed by	James Cruze
Written by	Dorothy Arzner Harry Carr Walter Woods (scenario) Rupert Hughes (intertitles)
Starring	Charles Farrell Esther Ralston Wallace Beery George Bancroft
Music by	Hugo Riesenfeld J. S. Zamecnik
Cinematography	Alfred Gilks
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release dates	December 6, 1926 (1926-12-06)
Running time	111 minutes
Country	United States
Language	Silent English intertitles

Old Ironsides (1926) is a silent film starring Charles Farrell, Esther Ralston, Wallace Beery, and George Bancroft.

Plot

Early in the 19th century, the USS Constitution is launched as part of an effort to stop piracy in the Mediterranean. Meanwhile, a young man determined to go to sea (Farrell) is befriended by the bos'n (Beery) of the merchant ship Esther, and he joins her crew. When the Esther reaches the Mediterranean, she too, along with the Constitution, becomes involved in the battle against the pirates.

Cast

• Charles Farrell as "The Commodore"
• Esther Ralston as Esther
• Wallace Beery as Bos'n
• George Bancroft as Gunner
• Charles Hill Mailes as Captain Preble
• Johnnie Walker as Lieutenant Stephen Decatur (billed as Johnny Walker)
• Eddie Fetherston as Lieutenant 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

Gary Cooper was in the film as an extra.

Production background

The movie was directed by James Cruze in a widescreen process that Paramount promoted as "Magnascope".

This lavish oceangoing epic features battle scenes with sailing ships and pirates; Beery would revisit the genre and play Long John Silver in Treasure Island eight years later.

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

Production

• The Maine-built ship, Llewellyn J. Morse, was refitted as the USS Constitution.
• A real 1886 ship, S. N. Castle was burned and sunk for the film off of Catalina Island.
• A closeup of a tattoo on George Bancroft's arm reveals that his character's name is also "G. Bancroft".

Availability

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

On July 19, 1997, a free public showing of the film was offered at the Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston, as a part of "Sail 200" festivities for the ship's bicentennial. A large screen was mounted beside the ship; film organist Dennis James, working from Erno Rapee's's original music, accompanied the showing. During the scene depicting its battle with the HMS Guerriere, the ship's own cannon were fired in synch with the film.

See also

• List of American films of 1926
• Boris Karloff filmography

External links

• Old Ironsides at IMDb
• synopsis at AllMovie
• lobby poster
• another version of poster
• VHS video cover, 1987