Silent Sunday: Noah's Ark (1928)

“Oh God have mercy on my children. They know not what they do!”

            I was brought up in a Catholic house. I was never keen on going to church and the idea of going to church got to be too much as I got older. When I was in college for undergrad I had to take a Bible class as an Art History requirement (lots and lot of paintings and works of art have been done about stories from the Bible). I had a great teacher who was himself religious but he studied Judaism and Catholicism and whatever religion there is out in the world. The teacher I had is a practicing Jew but he goes to church every Sunday as well (his mother was Catholic). He taught the Bible almost as literature. He was not preaching he was teaching it in a scholarly way and I enjoyed it greatly. I will always remember him saying that if you believe in all the stories in the Old Testament there is something wrong with you because they are so unbelievable.

            One of the many stories I enjoyed reading for the teacher’s classes (I enjoyed him so much I took his New Testament class the following semester) was the story of Noah’s Ark. I remember even as a kid I enjoyed this story. I could never get my head around such a huge ark with all these animals in it and then only Noah and his sons and their wives were the last humans on earth. Really interesting stuff.

            Since the movie industry began there have been several film tellings of the Biblical flood. I remember watching a cartoon when I was little very vividly. Possibly the first attempt at showing Noah’s Flood was the 1928 Warner Bros. film Noah’s Ark. This version parallels the Biblical story with the way people and the world were during World War I.

            In 1914 people of the world are preparing for war. On a crowded Orient Express a theater troupe, that include a young woman named Marie (Dolores Costello), is heading for Bucharest. Some men get into a conversation about God. One says there is a God people must have faith to believe in God, another says there is the Goddess woman who is also like a devil, another says the military is god, and the last one asks if there is a God why does He not show Himself. As soon as the man finishes his sentence a lightning strike takes out the bridge the train is coming to. The train is thrown into a ditch.

            An American man named Travis (George O’Brien) and his friend Al were traveling on the train. They save Marie when they see her in the wreck. Someone points them to a lodge near the French border. That night all the men that traveled with them try to get to Marie. One man is a Russian secret service officer. Travis fights the man to keep him away from Marie. Just as the men are fighting the police come to the lodge to announce that war has been declared. To get back at Marie the Russian says that she is a German spy (Marie is German) and she needs to be arrested. Travis, Al, and Marie manage to get away to Paris.

            In Paris, Marie is worried she will be caught and arrested as a spy even though she is not one. Travis tells her she has nothing to worry about because her English is well she could pass for an American. Al becomes worried because he and Travis are in Europe on money that Travis’s father had given them thinking they were going to be traveling around studying art while they are really just having a good time. They read that the US  has declared war. Al signed up. Travis does not want to be alone without his friend. He wants to sign up to fight but he loves Marie he does not want to leave her especially because she is German.

            Marie and Travis watch a procession of American soldiers that Al is a part of. Travis feels ashamed he wants to fight with his men. Marie does not want him to go to war she does not want to lose her husband. Swept up in emotions Travis takes a place in the procession and heads to war.

            Travis is placed in the same regiment as Al. Travis tells his friend that he has married Marie but he does not know where she is she has not returned his letters. When the fighting begins Al dies in Travis’s arms.

            Months later Marie is working a theater as a dancer in Belgium. One of the dancers (Myrna Loy) asks Marie why she is always looking at the soldiers. Marie replies that she is looking for an American soldier. The Russian officer is in the audience. He recognizes Marie. When she leaves the stage he grabs her arm and has her sit down. He tells her he wants her to meet him that night. He blackmails Marie that he can question her about her papers which could cause her some embarrassment. Marie tries to runaway but she winds up running into the Russian. He places papers in her bag that make her look like a spy. He has her arrested and sentenced to death as a spy.

            That night Travis’s regiment comes through town. They are given orders to shoot the spies. Travis notices Marie is one of the people that are to be shot and killed. He yells out to his men to not shoot that Marie is his wife. Just as he takes Marie into his arms the town is bombed and the building they are in crumbles. When everyone comes out of the wreckage, the priest that was present at the execution tells them all the story of Noah and how it fits in with the present day.

            Japheth (O’Brien) is in love with his father Noah’s handmaiden Miriam (Costello). A King has sent his men to find a virgin to sacrifice to their pagan god. The men find Miriam and kidnap her. Japheth tries to go to the king to rescue his beloved from being killed. The King has Japheth taken away to be blinded and forced to walk in circles turning a wheel. God summons Noah to the mountains to give him a sign. God tells Noah that Japheth and Miriam will be saved and that he is to build an ark. The people laugh and jeer at Noah and his family as they build the ark. Miriam is finally taken to be sacrificed. Noah comes to the King’s palace to warn everyone what is to come. When the archers are about to shoot Miriam God strikes them with lightning. Soon the great flood is upon the city. Japheth knows the storm is God’s doing and asks Him to guide him to Miriam so he can save her. God does what Japheth asks of him and in return when Japheth returns to the ark with Miriam his sight is restored. As Noah sailed away in his ark God calmed the seas and sent a rainbow as a covenant of peace.

            In the present, the Americans come and save everyone in the crumbled church. The Russian has died in the meantime. When everyone emerges from the church Armistice has been called. The priest tells Travis and Marie that the Armistice is like God’s rainbow the covenant of peace.

            George O’Brien and Dolores Costello were great together. I have never seen Costello in a film before so I was not sure what to expect. She did a great job. George O’Brien was great as this strong Biblical character and an American soldier wanting to fight for his country. Myrna Loy is literally in the film for less than a minute as the dancer in Marie’s act. The film is mostly silent but there are a few speaking parts and Loy has one as her character speaks to Marie about looking for an American soldier. The woman had a knack for being in important films in the late 1920s (she was in The Jazz Singer which is the first sound film and Don Juan which was the first silent with synchronized background sounds).

            Michael Curtiz directed the film. He was amazing. So many of the scenes were beautifully filmed. What I like about Curtiz as a director he was so great at capturing the emotions of the characters. No matter if the scene was silent or had some sound with the characters speaking you could feel their emotions and turmoil and love. To me not many directors are able to really capture their characters in every aspect but Curtiz is one of only a few I believe did.

            I think Noah’s Ark is a wonderful film. I never would have thought to parallel the story of Noah’s Ark with war that, to me, was genius. The reason I like the story of Noah’s Ark from the Bible is because it is about having faith and never letting your faith fail you. Just because I do not believe in going to church does not mean I do not faith. I pray to God every night. Noah trusted God and so did Japheth no matter what they were going through. Even Miriam had faith even though she never says anything to that affect but you can see it in her face as she was lead to be sacrificed. Noah’s Ark is a late silent/early sound film I highly recommend seeing. It is a great piece of cinema. 

Silent Sundays: 3 Bad Men

“Come along my three bad men. Let’s go make camp.”

            I say this time again whenever I write up a western film and I will say it again: I am not a huge fan of westerns. When I watch a western there has to be an actor or actress I really like in it or the director is someone I like as well. The 1926 silent film 3 Bad Men had both of my preferences with actor George O’Brien playing one of the lead parts and it was directed by John Ford.

            The story takes place in the 1870s when President Grant opened up the west. Both Americans and immigrants came from their crowded cities to settle in wide open spaces breathe fresh air. At a campsite a man finds gold in the mountains. Dan O’Malley (O’Brien) is one of the waves of immigrants seeking his own parcel of land. While out in the prairies traveling with hundreds of others Dan comes across a young woman named Lee Carlton (Olive Borden) and her father. Their wagon lost its wheel and Dan comes around to help them. When he is done he flirts with Lee a little bit but pulls away when she awaits his kiss.

            Rewards circulate throughout the small established Midwestern towns for three men named Bull Stanley, Spade Allen, and Mike Costigan for holdups and robbery and horse stealing. They watch from a hilltop as the wagons and men on horses pass by below. Bull rides up to a man and asks where they are all heading. The man replies they are heading to the Dakotas to find gold. Bull says there is a man there “jus’ as yeller” he is looking for.

            The town of Custer is controlled by the sheriff Layne Hunter. Layne is not a good sheriff. He has a gang of men that go around intimidating people and causing trouble. A young woman named Millie is in love with him and wants to marry him when a minister arrives in town. Layne gives her a dirty look and closes the window they were speaking through on her. News is brought to Layne that someone out in the prairie has a few thorough bread racing horses. He tells his men to go get the horses.

            Still on the hilltop Bull, Spade, and Mike see the thorough breads. As they are heading down to capture the horses they see another gang come in. When they get to the wagon a man is dead on the ground and Bull goes to shoot the other person. The other person takes off their hat and it is Lee. Bull cannot shoot her after that especially when she begins to cry into his chest. The three men take Lee into town as part of their group. Layne sees Lee getting water from a trough and starts hitting on her. Bull immediately gets off the wagon and comes between Lee and Layne. He tells the sheriff that Lee is with his group and if has anything to say to her he has to go through him.  Layne plans to deal with the three men in his own way since Bull got in his way with Lee. When they are done setting up camp Lee tells the three men they can work for her but she cannot pay them until she gets her land. Bull steps up and says they will work for her for nothing. The next morning Layne comes looking for Lee. She does not like him very much. In his tent, Bull takes out a letter from his sister that says she followed the man she loved. His sister is Millie.

            Bull comes to think that the three of them are no good for Lee after he sees her playing with a baby. He wants to find her a nice man to marry so he sends Spade and Mike out to find one. Spade and Mike go to the local dive to find a man. They find a guy but he is definitely not right for Lee. Dan comes into town and right into the bar. Millie is sitting in a bar with a man that Layne knows. Bull also comes into the bar. Millie sees her brother and runs away from the man. Dan is standing on the stairs when Millie rushes past him. The man chases after her but Dan stops him. Bull helps Dan fight off all the others who joined in the fight. Outside the dive Bull takes a look at Dan and invites him back to their camp asking him if he wants a job. Dan and Lee are surprised to see each other. He asks about her father and she tells him what happened. This time standing alone they kiss.

            Layne sends one of his men to get out of an old man where the gold is. The old man is hurt but before he passes he gives the man with the gold on it to Bull and everyone. Bull tells Layne he has had enough of him. The following day a revolt is planned against Layne and his men with Bull the leader. Layne lets lawlessness rule. He lets his men burn the church down where the women are praying with the minister and he even goes along with them. Millie hears the plan and runs to the church to warn everyone. The minister manages to get out of the church and tries to plead with the men to stop. Millie comes running out toward the minister and catches the bullet in her back. She cries out for her brother. Bull is in the church getting the other out when he hears her. Bull’s men chase away Layne’s men and rescue everyone in the church including Lee who had been there. As Millie lies dying Bull asks her who the man was who took her away. At that moment Layne walks in and Millie screams. Bull chases after him but does not catch him. When Bull returns Millie has died.

            The great race for land is the following day at twelve o’clock. At twelve on the dot Bull, Lee, Mike, Spade, and Dan dash off for their land. Layne and his men watch the rush and he tells his man to wait to see where Bull and the rest stop and they will catch up to them. The Carlton group, as they are known as, is in the lead. They have to go through a pass to get to the land they want. Bull, Mike, and Spade tell Dan and Lee to go on ahead they will meet them. The three bad men know that they have to try to hold off Layne and his men as long as they can. They pull cards and whoever has the highest card has to stay behind. Spade is a card cheat and he purposely picks the highest card. The next person to stay behind is Mike and he stays in a small storage house with gun powder inside and bullets flying around. Bull is the last one standing. Dan wants to help him fight but Bull wants him to go with Lee so he punches the poor Irishman out cold. Bull gets into a shoot out with Layne and his men and immediately gets wounded. He crawls behind a rock and from behind it he stares Layne down and they both shoot killing each other.

            Years pass and Dan and Lee are settled on their farm with their son Stanley Costigan Allen O’Malley. Dan takes the baby over the three hats on the wall and tells his son that one day he will tell him the story of the best three bad men there ever was.

            I really enjoyed 3 Bad Men. The story was not a usual western and I liked that a lot. I liked how the three criminals looked and sounded mean but when they met someone who cared for them they cared for that someone. Once you find out that Bull has a sister you know exactly why he cares for Lee like he does and you like him all the more for it. George O’Brien gets top billing but he is barely in the film. In his few scenes he was wonderful. This is the first time I have ever seen Olive Borden in a film and I thought she was good. O’Brien and Borden made a good pair. The film really belongs to Tom Santschi who played Bull. He was fantastic. Santschi looked like a tough criminal but one that could also have a heart and he played both sides of the character perfectly. John Ford’s direction is as always amazing. In the land rush scene you feel excited and tense as if you were actually in the race yourself. His camera angles were stunning in the land rush scene. The film does have its cheesy moments such as some over acting and the ending was good but it packed some cheese with it. Besides the cheesy moments 3 Bad Men is a very good silent film and a very good western with a lot of heart.  

Silent Sundays: The Blue Eagle (1926)

“This is about two rough necks who love the same girl. They’re shipmates now- but when the war is over, all the patriotic stuff is OUT!”

            The quote above perfectly sums up John Ford’s 1926 silent film The Blue Eagle. But there are a few things in between and honestly the girl the “two rough necks” love is in the film very little.

            George Darcy (George O’Brien) and Tim Ryan are on the same battleship during World War I. At home they are part of rival gangs and, to make matters worse, they are in love with the same girl named Rose Kelly (Janet Gaynor). Rose sends them both letters. Tim starts a fight with George for having a photograph of Rose in his locker. The chaplain Father Joe stops the fight in the locker room. He has them box each other to get the fight out of their system. In the middle of the fight an enemy ship comes along. All the men quickly get to their places. George and Tim work the boilers. Their ship destroys the enemy but more danger comes when the boilers have been filled too much and a fire starts. Tim tries to save a man named Rohan but he is too late and the poor man dies.

            When the men return home from the War they walk through the streets in a parade. Rose finds George and Tim and she walks arm in arm with them. George goes home to his younger brother Limpy. While George was away their mother died and Limpy fell in with a bad crowd selling dope. A dance is thrown for the men. Tim gets to Rose first. George grabs an older larger lady and dances with her and gives her his sailor hat to make Rose jealous. George winds up getting Rose before the dance is over.

            George takes Rose out on a date some time later for a walk around the docks. Tim shows up. Rose was supposed to be out on a date with him that night. Tim makes her choose between the two of them. She says she chooses neither and runs away when her father Sergeant Kelly walks by.

            George has been working with Father Joe. He follows the priest to a neighborhood which happens to be Tim’s gang’s turf. A woman has died of a dope overdose and has left a note for Father Joe to take care of her young son. Father Joe has George take the baby which turns out to be a good thing for him because a group of Tim’s men were ready to beat him to a pulp!       Sergeant Kelly is looking Limpy the kid is in trouble.Father Joe wants to help in the fight against dope especially seeing a young mother die from taking it. He wants George and Tim to work together to help him. He tells the boys they can fight their personal issues out the following week at the gym.

            Limpy is seen by an officer and runs away. Rose sees Limpy running away and she manages to get to George to tell him his brother is being chased.  Limpy manages to get away to a submarine that carries the town’s dope supply. George gets caught by the police for aiding Limpy in getting away and has to be taken to Federal Island for questioning. On the way to the island they see Limpy on the outside of the dope submarine the people inside are not letting him in. They cowardly submerge and drown Limpy. On land, Tim’s cop friend Dizzy is shot and killed by dope fiends. Now George and Tim are united in helping Father Joe. They push around a dope runner into tell them where the submarine is kept. The runner tells them that the submarine is located at Rock Island. A whole gang of men go to the island to take down the submarine. They all manage to blow up the submarine.

            George and Tim are prepared to fight each other at the parish gym. Even before they get into the ring they are ready to beat the other. No one but Father Joe, who is the referee, is allowed to be in the gym. Rose hears about the fight from her father. She says that Tim is going to kill George and rushes out of her house down to the gym. Both of the men are winded and tired. Tim lets George win. When Rose gets to the gym she tells George she chooses him.

            The next day Father Joe has Tim come to his office. The widow of the dead sailor Rohan has come to Father Joe’s office as well. He tells the widow that Tim tried to save her husband and that she can take the poor little boy who lost his mother. Tim winds up with the widow.

            And yes, Tim and George become friends since they no longer have to fight over Rose.

            The Blue Eagle was good even if the middle of the story with the submarine as dope runner was really silly. I can understand the story that in the end George and Tim no matter their differences are Blue Eagles.  I liked the cast. I love George O’Brien and Janet Gaynor together, well my love for their pairing comes from Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans not so much this film since they were barely in any scenes together. This was an odd film for John Ford even as a silent film. It was not very manly or of his caliber that I am used to seeing from him. There were a few scenes that were funny and cute. The film is not completely bad. I can only suggest watching The Blue Eagle is you are a fan of Janet Gaynor or George O’Brien or John Ford otherwise skip it. It is available to watch in full on Youtube.