Tell It to the Marines (1926) User Reviews

Skeet Burns, U.S.M.C.

[lugonian · 8/10 · 29 October 2000]

TELL IT TO THE MARINES (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1926) directed by George Hill, stars Lon Chaney, best known as 'The Man of a Thousand Faces' in one of his rare on screen performances where one of his thousand faces happens to be his own. With such classic film roles as "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" or "The Phantom of the Opera" over at Universal, Chaney remains the master of many disguises. For this military theme, Chaney assumes star billing while William Haines takes control of the story from start to finish.

The plot unfolds through title card introduction: "Almost every train bound for the Marine base at San Diego, California, carries a prospective Marine ... some fellow fresh from the country or fresher from some city." The fresh fellow in question is George Burns, better known as "Skeet" (William Haines), first seen sleeping in his berth on a train bound for San Diego. On a pretext of joining the Marines so to get free travel connection to Tijuana, Skeet encounters Sergeant O'Hara (Lon Chaney) at the train station, but manages to break away from being recruited by being chased to the next train out. Returning from Tijuana to San Diego without any money, Skeet, in need of food and shelter, heads over to the base where he enlists, thus, marking the start of his four year stretch with the Leathernecks. Failing to take the Marines seriously, Skeet, the nervy misfit, eventually makes a play for Norma Dale (Eleanor Boardman), a nurse who's "one of the few people who had seen Sergeant O'Hara smile." In spite of his devotion to Norma, it is up to O'Hara to discipline this new recruit every which way he can.

Being the first motion picture made with full cooperation of the United States Marine Corps, TELL IT TO THE MARINES ranks one of the finer motion pictures of this nature. A fine mix of comedy, romance and military action, the film set the pattern for William Haines' character. Becoming an overnight star as the wisecracking recruit, his latter roles would become similar portrayals to what was performed here, especially that as a cadet in WEST POINT (MGM, 1927) opposite Joan Crawford, or as a sailor in NAVY BLUES (MGM, 1929). Haines would conclude his movie career in an independent production of THE MARINES ARE COMING (Mascot, 1935). Regardless of brash recruit vs. tough sergeant (Conrad Nagel), the latter film was neither a remake nor a sequel to TELL IT TO THE MARINES, though it could had been one or the other. Not all Haines movies have military setting, but many of his characters portrayed could very well be Skeet Burns recycled. As for Lon Chaney, he always managed to make his characters likable and believable. TELL IT TO THE MARINES is further indication to what Chaney can do, being an actor of many roles. His facial expressions says everything about the character he plays, especially that one scene where he wipes away his tear, looks around, then resumes his rough and tough exterior. He and Haines work well together for their last time on screen. They initially appeared in the now lost movie, THE TOWER OF LIES (1925) starring the up-and-coming Norma Shearer.

Other members of the cast include Carmel Myers as Zaya, a native girl with flirtatious intentions during the Singapore sequence; Warner Oland (best known as 'Charlie Chan' in the popular film series of the 1930s) as the Chinese bandit leader; Frank Currier as General Wilcox; and Eddie Gribbon as Corporal Madden.

Long unseen for several decades, TELL IT TO THE MARINES finally sufficed on cable TV's Turner Classic Movies where it premiered October 24, 2000. Its newly composed and excellent orchestral score by Robert Israel makes this 105 minute silent movie presentation worth watching. Highly recommended. Tell it to the Marines. (***)

review

[tomwal · 8/10 · 8 June 2003]

Chaney gives a recruiting poster performance of a rough,tough,Marine with a tender heart[thats well hidden],with Haines giving an equally good performance as the recruit.A mixture of humor and excitement are well blended to make this a very entertaining movie.

superb historical snapshot

[perryb56 · 8/10 · 6 October 2009]

I found this film enjoyable for many reasons. One, I'm finding that silent films were much, much more than Charlie Chaplin and the Keystone Kops, that dramas and low-key comedy were much better than I had thought. Growing up in Culver City, I am always fascinated with location shooting as well, seeing my home town and surrounding cities decades before I was born in the background gives me a kick. In this film, however, there's the added bonus of MCRD San Diego in all it's glory, 48 years before I myself attended boot camp and became a U.S. Marine there. I knew the camp was old, but to see it then when it had to be fairly new was great. I do hope they release this film on DVD, and ten stars to the people at TCM for continuing to share these wonderful rarities without chopping them to pieces. Semper Fi

Semper Fi, Bill and Lon

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 1 April 2009]

In the only film that Lon Chaney ever made without makeup of any sort, he and William Haines laid the ground work for many a service comedy in the sound era. Had this been done at Warner Brothers a few years later, the parts that Chaney and Haines have would have been played by Pat O'Brien and James Cagney.

Tell It To The Marines finds William Haines as a fresh young recruit enlisting in the Marines on almost a whim in San Diego. Once they've got his signature on the dotted line, Haines comes under the tender charge of sergeant Lon Chaney. The two go through training, sea duty, and rescuing some missionaries while posted in Shanghai.

They've also interest in the same girl, Navy nurse Eleanor Boardman and if you've seen any of the Cagney-O'Brien films you know who she's going to wind up with. Haines also dallies a bit with South Sea native girl Carmel Myers and his attentions start a small war on that said island.

A few years away from being cast as Chinese detective Charlie Chan, Warner Oland plays a lean and mean Chinese bandit chief, threatening the lives of all and virtue of the females at a Chinese mission. Americans were very sensitive on that subject, giving money at collection time at church services for Chinese missions. Back then it seemed like every church in America was sponsoring a missionary in China.

Though it's not a genre that the silent screen was especially known for, Tell It To The Marines is a rollicking good service comedy and a nice change of pace for the Man of a Thousand Faces to be seen as his own true self.

Lon Chaney - Semper Fidelis

[Ron Oliver · 10/10 · 4 November 2000]

A tough-as-shoe-leather sergeant patiently molds a rambunctious, rowdy youth into a sturdy Marine.

Available again after decades of obscurity, TELL IT TO THE MARINES is a wonderful, rousing paean to America's famous fighting force. Produced with the full cooperation of the Corps, it surges with heartfelt emotion & genuine excitement. It is the kind of film which should be shown to skeptics who doubt the power of silent cinema to satisfy a modern audience.

Lon Chaney is beyond praise as the hard-boiled Sergeant O'Hara, who loves the Corps and all that is stands for, but still has a tender heart and a good soul hidden beneath his rough exterior. This was Chaney's favorite role and he plays it without any of the extravagant make-up for which he was so famous. A superb character actor, Chaney became the parts he played. Completely believable, he fascinates the viewer into forgetting that this is an actor they are watching. His early death robbed him from rightfully enjoying the accolades & acclaim which other actors, like Chaplin, reaped in old age.

TELL IT TO THE MARINES provided the celebrity-making role for young William Haines and in it he practically revels in the silly billy antics that would dominate the rest of his movie career. In 1930, only 4 years after the release of this film, Chaney would be dead at the age of 47 and Haines would be the industry's top box office male. Things move fast in Hollywood.

Eleanor Boardman is perfect as the crisp Navy nurse who harbors tender feelings for both men. Carmel Myers is the exotic, albeit flea ridden, native girl who tempts Haines. Warner Oland has a small, flashy role as a despicable Chinese bandit. Movie mavens will recognize Willie Fung unbilled as a servant translating for Oland.

And what was the Marines' reaction to this film? They loved it, and especially Chaney's performance in it and he became the first actor to be awarded an honorary membership in the Corps.

The film's shipboard sequences were filmed on the mighty USS California, later to be sunk in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Where was Lon Chaney when they needed him?

TELL IT TO THE MARINES has been restored to pristine condition & given a rousing new score by Robert Israel.

One of Chaney's best performances -- PERIOD!

[blakemf · 30 January 2000]

This is one of Lon Chaney's finest performances. It also shows that MGM Production chief, Irving Thalberg, was not afraid to cast Chaney in a "no-makeup-role." Chaney gives a tough, yet endearing performance as the tough-but-loveable Marine sergeant.

It was MGM's second highest grossing picture (next to Garbo's "Flesh & the Devil"), earning over $6.1 million. But the Marines gave Chaney his highest praise for his role: he became the FIRST actor to be made an honorary member of the US Marine Corps.

Tennnnn...Hut!

[bsmith5552 · 7/10 · 30 January 2014]

"Tell it to the Marines" was a departure for star Lon Chaney from the kinds of roles he usually played and for which he is best remembered. No grotesque make ups or evil sinister characters here but a gruff no nonsense Marine drill sergeant in their stead.

Chaney is the stern Marine Sergeant O'Hara (no first name here) with a heart of gold who takes smart aleck recruit George "Skeet" Burns under his wing and attempts to make a marine out of him. While visiting sick bay one day, Skeet meets navy nurse Norma Dale (Eleanor Boardman) and begins to pursue her. Unbeknownst to Skeet, O'Hara also worships Norma from afar.

While on duty in a remote Pacific island, Skeet is tempted by a local girl only to have word of it get back to Norma. Through a convenient set of circumstances O'Hara, Skeet and Norma wind up on duty in Shanghai during a conflict with Chinese bandits headed by a pre-Charlie Chan Warner Oland. Well, in true Hollywood fashion, everything gets sorted out in the final reel and everyone lives happily ever after.

I had a problem with the time line depicted in this picture. After he signs up, O'Hara tells Skeet that he will be on his case for the next three years. At the end of the movie, we learn that Skeet has just finished a four year hitch. Also, the story jumps from the boot camp sequence to "sea duty" right in the middle of basic training. Then, they move on to combat situations on a remote Pacific Island and then to Shanghai (with no apparent combat training). We are not made aware that the story has taken place over a four year period until the end of the picture.

The film is essentially divided into two parts, the light comedic basic training part and the action sequences at the Pacific island and Shanghai. Chaney as always, gives a moving if not sympathetic performance as the Marine sergeant. It must have been a nice change for him for once to play a straight role with none of his signature make ups.

Excellent film

[Casey_Moriarty · 10/10 · 8 June 2003]

Lon Chaney is one of my top 3 actors ever, so naturally I watched this movie because of him. It's amazing how he managed to make gruff characters so likeable-- even under layers of makeup as the Hunchback of Notre Dame or the Phantom of the Opera. Here he's not buried under a few layers of makeup, but his character is no less memorable. William Haynes is quite good in his role as the goofy recruit that Chaney swears to make into a Marine. The movie can be quite funny, quite touching and often exciting, as well. Highly recommended.

Lon Chaney is the man

[gbill-74877 · 7/10 · 11 September 2019]

Lon Chaney is simply fantastic as a Marine Sergeant who puts a screw-off new recruit (William Haines) through boot camp, and then guides him through some action overseas in China afterwards. The two men are also involved in a little love triangle with a young nurse (Eleanor Boardman). It's a great cast, with the exception of Carmel Myers as an island girl, and the film has a reasonable amount of authenticity running through it. It was shot in part at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego with consultation from a General, and there are also nice scenes on the USS California, whose big guns surprised me a little for 1926. I was entertained by the mix of humor, romance, and drama which is all somewhat quirky and fitting to the period, though unfortunately the scenes in China reek of cultural condescension. It's probably unfair to the film, but in part it was less interesting to me just because I've seen the boot camp part of the story done so many times over the years, though apparently this was the prototype. The template is complete to the point of ushering in the new class of recruits in the same way at the end. Watch it for Lon Chaney though. Man, I'd probably watch him in just about anything.

Lon Chaney, sans makeup in Tell It To The Marines, his favorite film roll!!!

[Ziggy5446 · 10/10 · 11 May 2007]

Tell It To The Marines stars the brilliant Lon Chaney wearing his actual own face. Indeed, it is a choppy fetching face, distinctively colorful eyes, awry underlying teeth; greatly sensible and overly compelling. Throwing away the highly-wrought character make-ups which brought him so much acclaim and portrays to a small degree the aligned character of a Sereant of Marines. As a matter of fact this is one of his best character roles (if not his best), and he brilliantly "makes himself O'Hara and not Lon Chaney."

William Haines (one of MGM's most important male stars) plays a young man who hitches a free ride on a train of recruits heading for boot camp, with no intention of entering training, just to get closer to the racetrack. O'Hara puts him through the ringer in basic training, determined to make a man of him. A reluctant recruit, who seems to get into an inordinate amount of trouble, battles stubbornly with the by the book O'Hara throughout his initial enlistment period. Then, both become engaged in a war conflict, battling side by side, such that each earns the other's respect. This one utilizes a love triangle to spice up their conflict through the years, with Norma Dale (Eleanor Boardman), a Navy nurse at the base. The picture is full of action, laughs and holds a lot of love interest. In addition, the photography is great.

The adviser for the film was the San Diego base commander, General Smedley Butler. A legendary tough as nails Marine; he and Chaney became friends. Butler never fought in a major war, but won two Medals of Honor fighting in skirmishes around the globe. General Douglas MacArthur described Butler as "one of the really great generals in American history." This film is unequivocal in its approval for the Marines (and vice versa). Chaney was even made an honorary Marine. Though the film took 57 days to shoot and a production cost of nearly $500,000, it was a great success for both the three stars of the film and MGM, earning the largest profit of all Chaney's MGM films. Next to Flesh and the Devil, it was MGM's second most profitable film of the year and the high profits, combined with massive critical acclaim, which would lead to Chaney being casted in several more aligned rolls.

Chaney's real appearance was seen so rarely, it is in some way, the quality of a disguise. Silent film acting is dependent on a actor's articulation in screen-filling close-up's. As a child of deaf-mute parents, Chaney "had a deaf face" meaning he could communicate eloquently through his facial expression. The story is little more than a lighthearted p.r. job for the USMC, but Chaney himself absolutely dominates the picture, and for that very reason, in Tell It To The Marines, Chaney conceives a deeply compassionate man, set apart from 80 years of "tough guy with a heart of gold" clichés. It certainly is one of the gems of Chaney's career. This is, nevertheless, a superb example of the brilliant accomplishments of the late silent era. Just look deeply into the brilliant Lon Chaney's eyes.

Very Interesting Chaney Performance

[brucewla · 6/10 · 30 May 2011]

I saw this on Turner Classic Movies "Silent Sunday." For a long time, I have been interested in silent movies (though some are hard to follow for modern viewers--it was after all, another time), but as so many of them are lost, and the survivors are usually hard to find, I've only been exposed, really, to the ones shown on TCM.

I was interested in this one, because of Lon Chaney, interested for 2 reasons; first it's said that it is his personal favorite of the roles he played, and second, this film is one of the few, if not the only, one where Chaney appears as himself (I have never seen that, just Phantom of the Opera, Hunchback, etc).

So this film features Chaney as a marine drill Sergeant, and his big challenge is to turn a reluctant recruit into a marine. There is a romantic complication, (naturally both men like the same gal--gee that even went on in movies back then), and a good amount of action, but the point is (at least what I took away from it) is that while Chaney's character is gruff and tough, he has a good heart.

The only shortcoming to me, was there were only two women in the film Both are quite attractive, of course one is the "good" girl and one is "naughty" (the naughty one was a bit hotter I think). One thing I enjoy about silent movies is, they are a historical record, i.e. you are seeing people, cities, etc as they were in 1914 and so on.

I enjoyed this film a lot. I am hoping that TCM shows silents that are even rarer.

William Haines becomes a star

[Dr. Ed · 8/10 · 25 October 2000]

in this smash hit of 1927 that also boasts a star turn from Lon Chaney. Eleanor Boardman, Carmel Myers, and Warner Oland are also effective in this comedy-drama about the wise guy from Kansas City (Haines) who joins the Marines and grows up under the tutelage of Chaney. From this point in his career until the early 30s (talkies) Haines was a top 5 box office star for MGM.

The Freakiest Of All: An US Marine Sergeant

[FerdinandVonGalitzien · 6/10 · 31 October 2008]

Times have changed a lot, certainly!!.

This terrible fact for a German aristocrat accustomed to old and rigid traditions was evident during the last silent soirée at the Schloss theatre when "Tell It to the Marines", a film directed by Herr George W. Hill, was shown. This film is about military men and American war institutions.

The fact is that there are a lot of big differences between the German military establishment and the American one as can be seen in this silent film; differentiations that this Teutonic aristocrat is going to depict in order to make the old way of doing things clear.

The film tells of the adventures of private Robert "Skeet" Burns ( Herr William Haines ) a coarse, rude youngster who will join temporarily the Marines; during old aristocratic times, those long haired youngsters of humble origin were obviously not allowed in the German ministry of war. For such an important institution only lazy and idle Teutonic youths born with silver spoons in their mouths have this privilege… This private "Skeet" is under the command of Sergeant O'Hara ( Herr Lon Chaney ) and besides their interest in American war games, they both love nurse Norma Dale ( Dame Eleanor Boardman ), leading to adventures in war and love throughout the film.

Well, it hardly needs to be said that high-ranking Prussian officers never mixed with ordinary soldiers or had to teach them discipline; overall discipline is standard German equipment. And of course Teutonic aristocratic fräuleins never worked; they were always very busy chattering in the Berlin manner in their rococo salons while sipping tea and for some of them even this necessary business required a great effort.

So, there is no trace in the film of moustachioed Prussian warriors wearing those colourful uniforms adorned with numerous medals together with a fancy and sharp-pointed helmet. There is no sign too of light cavalry ready to attack while the high-ranking military Prussians observe such thrilling scenes sheltered on the top a of a high mountain. Even though "Tell It to the Marines" depicts the modern and ordinary procedures of the American army and displays nothing in common with the classic art of war, (that useless pastime of which aristocrats are so fond), the film is very entertaining and interesting.

"Tell It To The Marines" was Herr Lon Chaney's favourite film; the great American actor portrayed during his superb and long career many deformed, wicked and freak characters but finally he preferred the freakiest of all: a US Marine sergeant.

And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must present arms to his Teutonic heiresses.

Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/

Haines spoils it

[samhill5215 · 4/10 · 6 April 2009]

In spite of my low score this film has quite a bit going for it. Lon Chaney is as usual brilliant in a somewhat thankless role as a sergeant trying to make a marine out of Haines. Eleanor Boardman is as usual perfect and adorable to boot. It's a pity she didn't survive the talkies. The script is not special but not bad either and survives only due to Chaney's and Boardman's performances. There are some great battle and naval scenes, and Warner Oland, in his pre-Charlie Chan days, makes a great Chinese rebel leader. And look for Carmel Myers playing a Pacific islander.

What sinks the whole thing is Haines who is his usual annoying self. Having seen some of his other films I frankly don't see how he could have been such a big star in his day. There is nothing in his performances to even endear him let alone admire. I was happiest when scenes didn't include him. He was pushy, arrogant, irresponsible, and that pretty much describes his performances in other films as well. One of the worst was the scene where he takes Boardman for a ride but refuses to take her home and wrecks his car trying to fondle her. They then board a tram and while she tries her best to get away from him he relentlessly pursues her forcing himself on the seat next to her. I'm not sure what the writers had in mind but how could anyone imagine that such a man could win the affections of the refined woman portrayed by Boardman? Worse yet what does that say about respecting a woman's right to say no? One might argue that I'm using 21st century judgment and sensibilities but respect means the same thing no matter what the century. And overall, Haines' role was simply not funny, just annoying.

Still, this film is worth seeing if one can just tolerate Haines. In my mind the final scene with Lon Chaney says it all. Does his expression reflect his opinion of Haines' performance? I think so, but watch it and judge for yourselves.

Chaney Delivers Another Wonderful Performance

[Michael_Elliott · 31 May 2011]

Tell It to the Marines (1926)

*** (out of 4)

Private Skeet Burns (William Haines) shows up to the Marine training camp expecting to run things but the only thing he runs into is Sgt. O'Hara (Lon Chaney), a tough, hard-hitting man who plans on shaping Burns into a real man. TELL IT TO THE MARINES is best remembered today for the marvelous performance by Chaney and there's no question that he's the greatest thing about the movie but the entire story is pretty much built around the Haines character. Haines always strikes up a heated debate among film buffs because some love him while others hate him. His entire career had him playing obnoxious and annoying characters who would find themselves in a certain situation and he'd have to finally grow up. That formula was shown in countless films like SPRING FEVER and SPEEDWAY but it's also on full display here. I personally don't mind the routine too much but at this point I've seen it so many times that you really do feel as if you're watching the same movie over and over again. With that said, Haines was one of the biggest box office draws back in the day so clearly people loved him back then. The story here pretty much has Haines battling Chaney and of course there's a nurse (Eleanor Boardman) that Haines really likes but she sees right through his childish behavior. We even get a rather shocking scene where Haines pretty much forces himself on her and she has to escape from him yet a few minutes later she's realizing that she's in love with him!! There's no doubt that the story isn't all that original and even the training camp stuff is something we've seen countless times before. Even though you'll know every twist in the story and the ending is easy to spot coming, the film is still worth viewing because of the masterful performance of Chaney. He had said this was his favorite role and it's easy to see why. It's also easy to see why the Marine Corps would give him an honorary membership. Chaney doesn't wear any of the famous make-up but instead he just delivers a full, strong performance that certainly ranks among the greatest of his career. You can't help but look at this character and see a real Marine officer and not just some actor in the role. Chaney is so convincing in the part that you often times forget that you're watching an actor. Haines can do Haines like no one else and as usual he has no problem playing the jerk and he's also believable once his character begins to change. Boardman is fine as the love interest and we even get Warner Oland as the Chinese bandit leader. TELL IT TO THE MARINES seems to get better with age as Chaney's performance is certainly timeless and the main reason to watch the film.

Tell it to the Marines review

[JoeytheBrit · 7/10 · 30 June 2020]

Lon Chaney proves capable of successfully forsaking the horror roles for which he was acclaimed to play a gruff Marine Captain in this MGM comedy-drama. His nemesis is William Haines, a raw recruit who marks himself out for special treatment when he starts sniffing around the nurse (Eleanor Boardman) whom Chaney is sweet on. Chaney is surprisingly effective - although he's way too old to be hitting on Miss B. - and works well with Haines. The story follows a predictable arc, but provided the template from which countless other service movies were sketched.

One of the best movies ever!

[Damfino1895 · 10/10 · 15 November 2006]

Let me tell you a story. I started college recently and one of my lecturers asked us to introduce ourselves and tell her something about ourselves to help her remember us. As a mature student I thought I'd mention my love of classic movies. "Oh, black and white" she says, as if all older movies are in B/W. "Older" I say "I love silents". Her face lit up "Oh, Charlie Chaplin!" She says triumphantly as if she's incredibly clever. I admit that I replied snottily that silent movies are much, much more than Charlie Chaplin and this movie is an example of that. This is one of the best movies I have ever seen, it has everything from great humour through to great drama and all the performances are faultless. Stand out though is Lon Chaney as Sgt O'Hara, this has to be my favourite of all his performances, words fail me when I come to describe it, I would want this to be the performance he is remembered for instead of Erik or Quasimodo, but, hopefully anyone who loved those performances will watch this movie and he doesn't have any make up on. William Haines was excellent as Skeet, he plays the cocky know it all who cannot keep out of trouble with so much charm that you can't help liking him even though you want to give him a smack to knock some sense into him and Eleanor Boardman as Norma, wonderful as always. Everything is spot on and the scenes involving the mock battle, Chaney looks like he's been a marine all his life. I cannot recommend this film highly enough, especially if you are from a Naval or Marine background as I am. 10/10

Stars a real odd couple in film, and yet it works!...

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 1 July 2023]

... that odd couple being Lon Chaney and William Haines.

Haines plays "Skeet" Burns, a young guy whose plan was just to hitch a free train ride to San Diego with a voucher from the Marines since they think he is going to join up there, when he really plans to just go to Tijuana for the races. He has no intention of becoming a marine. But he does come back from Tijuana, looks a bit envious of the comradery he sees on the Marine base, and does indeed join up.

From that point he's at odds with marine lifer sergeant O'Hara (Lon Chaney), in one of his few MGM roles where he is not monster or blackguard of the week. Burns has a problem with rules, as do all William Haines characters, and worse, he falls for Navy nurse Norma Dale (Eleanor Boardman) who happens to be the woman of O'Hara's dreams. Worse, O'Hara is the kind of guy Norma thinks she should love, but Burns gets under her skin in spite of his abrasive foolhardy ways.

This film is charming and entertaining with a rousing battle for a finale, but it does have its faults and plot holes. It does realistically portray the rivalry between the navy and the marines, right down to nurse Dale being insulted when Burns innocently asks her if she is a Marine nurse. She harshly barks back that she is a navy nurse! The film avoids getting claustrophobic by having the marines deploy overseas for an extended period, where Burns both gets in hot water and proves himself.

Chaney's commanding presence and ability to convey deep emotions shine through his portrayal of the hardened but compassionate Sergeant O'Hara. His performance is a testament to his status as one of the greatest actors of the silent film era. Lon Chaney was named an honorary marine for his performance, and his funeral was officiated by a marine chaplain. I'd definitely recommend this one. It doesn't make the mistake of so many MGM films and abruptly make an out of character right turn at the end just so there can be a happy ending.

movie for the true Marine

[sgtbusmc · 9/10 · 30 December 2004]

Great movie for the true Marines that want to see what it was like when Smedley Butler, Dan Dailey, and 'Chesty' were hooking and jabbing.... made at the times when they served in their glory and in the places they were. Check out the period uniforms and the Springfield rifles, which when the movie was being shown weren't period at all but were the actual equipment used by the leathernecks of the time. Most amazing thing i seen from a Marine's point of view was the buildings at MCRD San Diego that were shown throughout the first portion/training phase of the movie, made me feel more a part of history and movie folk lore. And then the gruff sergeant that Chaney portrayed is certainly the kind we all had in boot camp and later in our tour of duty, (or we wished we had....... or sometimes wished we never met up with).

Much less clichéd than the usual William Haines film, but it still follows the usual formula from start to finish

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 13 April 2009]

While the casual viewer may not know this, leading man William Haines played essentially the same sort of character in films for about five years. Each time, he played an obnoxious and self-centered jerk who eventually learns the importance of team work and he becomes a "regular guy". The same formula was repeated so often, that you really can't watch too many of them because it seems like the same film again and again. Oddly, however, he was an amazingly popular star and the public loved it, though today it's a real chore to watch them all. I've seen about 8 or 10 of them and while well made, Haines' character is hard to take--he's just so obnoxious and unlikable that you want to see him die. Fortunately, while TELL IT TO THE MARINES is still one of these films, his character has been softened a bit and isn't quite as unlikable. Still, he does NOT want to serve and he behaves like a boorish pig when out on a date--behavior that might just get him arrested today. Yet, like formula, the girl soon falls in love with him--even though he's essentially a pig. It's rather funny when you think about this, since in real life Haines was gay and not particularly in the closet about it.

TELL IT TO THE MARINES begins with Haines on his way to Marine boot camp in San Diego. However, he has no intention of actually showing up, as he signed the enlistment form just to get the free train ticket to California! Nice guy, huh?! Well, he's soon caught and thanks to the tough but lovable sergeant (Lon Chaney), he's turned from a selfish jerk to a marine--but there of course is a long road leading to this. Along the way, he assaults a pretty young nurse (who naturally comes to love him--promoting the "rape myth" that girls say NO when they really mean YES). However, thankfully, Haines is less obnoxious and boisterous in this film--thanks apparently to having co-leads. In most films, he is THE show but here Chaney gets almost as much screen time and this is a very good thing. And, fortunately, Chaney's character is very sympathetic and provides balance to the film.

Overall, a very good silent--even if you are growing a bit tired of the familiar Haines pattern. Well made and enjoyable--particularly in the climactic scene where the marines land in war-torn China.

Chaney's great; the story is slim

[pery-1 · 5/10 · 15 June 2016]

The scariest thing about Sergeant Chaney is his face! There is little rigor of basic training shown, and most of that is because someone deserved it. It's light comedy, weak love story and a little action in the last part. I wonder how many rubes enlisted because of this recruiting poster of a film. Recruit Haines is an unlikeable twit, who tried to scam a free train trip out of Uncle Sam, then splitting for the TIjuana racetrack. He is given "the treatment" which is little indeed. Recruits run around town and get away with almost anything. There is a lot of silly Marine-Gob rivalry. I liked the San Diego train and trolley, the real Navy buildings in San Diego, and the ships at sea. It's wonderful to see Lon Cheney without make-up. Overall: weak. I now see why this movie hasn't been shown at any of the Silent Film Festivals I attended.

Simply a great movie!

[Chaney Girl · 10/10 · 13 January 2002]

This is Chaney's favorite of all his movies, and mine too.

A fault I often find in Chaney's movies is that his performance often eclipses that of the other cast members, but not so here. He is surrounded by a strong cast of actors that all do justice to their roles.

Semper fi

[nickenchuggets · 9/10 · 11 June 2021]

Tell It to the Marines is a movie that I learned about after I bought a set of 2 discs from TCM's website. The contents of the discs are 2 or 3 Lon Chaney films (one of which was destroyed in a 1960s fire and no longer exists). They attempt to reconstruct it using still images that managed to survive. Also included on one of the discs is a documentary about Chaney's life. In it, they go over many of the important movies he starred in, but sadly, most are gone forever. This doesn't mean we should be sad about the Chaney films we'll never get to see, rather, we should enjoy the ones that were saved. This movie got Chaney a lot of good recognition, not just from the general public, but from the US marine corps itself. They said that his portrayal of the sergeant he plays in this movie was so convincing and done so perfectly, it was like watching every marine they ever knew. For his extremely talented performance, Chaney became the first actor to become an honorary marine. But lets get into the movie itself. It is about a guy named "Skeet" Burns who wants to join the marines in 1924. He only wants to do this so he can get on a train to Mexico. He returns though, and enlists anyway. Once he signs up, he comes under the command of Sergeant O'Hara (Chaney). One day, Burns sees Norma, a nurse for the US navy who he becomes attracted to. As usual though, she doesn't like him back. Even worse, he finds out O'Hara likes her too, and she's more likely to choose him since his rank is higher. Later on, O'Hara is transferred to an island in the middle of nowhere, where he meets another girl who seems to like him. He has no choice but to reject her though, and O'Hara saves Burns in an ensuing fight. Chaney is then moved again, this time to Shanghai. Once again, both men come face to face with Norma, who is now working on a ship. She appears happy to see O'Hara, but acts disdainfully towards Burns. Towards the end, a militia of some kind attacks the city, and the marines must try and stop them. The marines are evacuated just in time, and Burns and Norma buy themselves land. In the final moments of the movie, Burns asks the sergeant if he wants to join him, but he says no, insisting the corps is his life. It's not hard to see why the military held this movie in such high regard. Chaney plays the part of the soldier here perfectly. To quote Full Metal Jacket, he is hard but he is fair. While watching him on the screen, you can obviously sense that he might have been friendly and nice at one time, but years of service have hardened him. Still, he really does care about his men. Even though I like this movie a lot, every time I see Chaney on screen, I get mad. It's very unlucky how we lost so many movies that he was in simply because nitrate is very unstable. At least we have this one.

Chaney's best movie

[Servo-11 · 9/10 · 17 May 1999]

I know that many people consider Chaney's best performances to be Quasimodo and the Phantom, but I found his acting overwrought and slightly impossible to watch. This film, however, shows a more understated Chaney, gruff and lovable, kind of like Victor McLaglen without all the soppy John Ford Irish sentimentality and slapstick. Chaney's performance isn't the only highlight. William Haines plays yet another of his engaging all-American heroes and he's cute, too! Eleanor Boardman has little to do, but she does it well. As far as I'm concerned, she should have gone off with Chaney, not Haines, because I think Chaney was as much of a looker as the sex symbols of the time!

Somewhat dated but still a fascinating look at Lon Chaney

[jjcremin-1 · 8/10 · 16 November 2009]

On November 15, 2009, I saw TELL IT TO THE THE MARINES at the Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo with immense anticipation. According to biographer Michael F. Blake, A Thousand Faces, this was one of Lon Chaney's favorite roles. In 1926, this was MGM's second top grosser, after the Garbo-Gilbert FLESH AND THE DEVIL, and the first movie to have had complete participation of the United States Marines. However, this movie is not readily available not the present time and this movie is unique in that Chaney played a non villainous role without a single disguise other than the fact he's playing a U.S. Marine named Sergeant O'Hara.

However, in spite of top billing, O'Hara is actually the secondary role in this. The main character of George "Skeet" Burns (this was made before the success of Burns and Allen) is played by William Haines. This actor was successful in the late twenties and his screen persona was that of a wise cracking leading man. Though he would get the girl, here played by Eleanor Boardman (Nurse Nora), he acted more like the girl's buddy instead of having real romantic interest with the opposite sex. He's probably best remembered as Marion Davies's co-star in King Vidor's SHOW PEOPLE.

Eleanor Boardman was at this time King Vidor's wife and the female lead in her husband's masterpiece THE CROWD. For TELL IT TO THE MARINES, she's quite lovely but not really given much to do. The director was George Roy Hill, one of MGM's top directors at the time and not to be confused with the director with the same name who directed Paul Newman and Robert Redford in their two movies together, among others. According to Blake, very hands on production chief for this was Irving Thalberg.

Enough background for the principal players, the movie itself is very much a product of its time. A good part in the beginning showcases Haines's shenanigans of dodging Chaney to play at the race tracks in Tia Juana. Without saying so, he obviously lost his money and comes back. Chaney knew he would and with Corporal Madden (Eddie Gibbon), he does what he can to make this fresh upstart into a serious fighting marine.

There are some slapstick bits of Haines getting a hat to hide his Marine haircut and sneaking out to date Navy Nurse Boardman where he actually wrecks a car. She manages to get Chaney to take Haines out of the brig by giving him a kiss on the cheek. But he has already decided to let crazy Skeet join the rest of the boys to an expedition to Shanghai, China.

Along the way there, Haines incites Marine-Navy rivalry by unknowingly picking a fight with the Navy Middleweight Boxing Champion. But Chaney knows and even arranges a boxing match to watch Haines get clocked by the champ. As O'Hara, he mischievously smiles, perhaps getting even and he too has romantic interest in Nurse Nora.

In fact, once they get to China, Chaney pines away at Boardman's picture lamenting how ugly he is to his bulldog, giving the dog the odd compliment that he's the only one uglier than he is.

Meanwhile, Haines yups it up with Carmel Myers, a very white looking Native girl. The other sailors and soldiers make whoopee with the Native women. This allows a more convincing Warner Oland (the Scandinavian actor who would later play Charlie Chan) as a Chinese warlord to launch an attack.

Chaney gets alerted and rallies a lot of his troops for a counter attack and rescue of Haines and others. Haines finally mans up and fights along side Chaney. American planes fly in to ultimately save the day.

Haines and Chaney do reunite with Boardman and I'll leave it a mystery how it actually ends. Blake has compared Chaney's performance as a prototype to John Wayne in similar roles. Though there are some similarities including physical appearance, there are major differences as well. The main one I see is the tough sergeant getting mixed up in a romantic triangle with a subordinate. It just doesn't work.

It is fun to see Lon Chaney in a heroic role and able to smile and laugh a lot. For me that's good enough reason to see this.