The Four Feathers (1929)

Directors:

Merian C. Cooper, Lothar Mendes,

Writers:

A.E.W. Mason (novel), Hope Loring (adaptation),

Stars:

Richard Arlen, Fay Wray, Clive Brook

Cast

Cast overview:
Richard Arlen	...	Lt. Harry Faversham
Fay Wray	...	Ethne Eustace
Clive Brook	...	Lt. Jack Durrance
William Powell	...	Capt. William Trench
Theodore von Eltz	...	Lt. Castleton
Noah Beery	...	Slave Trader
Zack Williams	...	Idris
Noble Johnson	...	Ahmed
Harold Hightower	...	Ali
Philippe De Lacy	...	Harry Faversham - age 10
E.J. Ratcliffe	...	Col. Eustace
George Fawcett	...	Col. Faversham
Augustin Symonds	...	Col. Sutch

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

victorian era | north africa | british empire | desert | sudan | 

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Taglines:

Paramount's new sensation!

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Romance | War

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

June 1929 (USA)

Also Known As:

Vier Federn

Filming Locations:

Buttercup Dunes, Imperial County, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System) Mono (Movietone) (musical score and sound effects)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of the few hit silent productions (although sporting synchronized sound effects) in 1929.

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Connections

Referenced in RKO Production 601: The Making of 'Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World' (2005)

User Reviews

A Rather Dark Version of The Sun Never Sets

Paramount's final all-silent movie (with a synchronized music score and a few sound effects) was The Four Feathers (1929). Far more faithful to the Empire-at-all-costs spirit of the novel than later versions, the mood here is far less romantic (in both senses of that word). In fact, although Fay Wray plays the heroine, her role is really quite small (and she is unattractively photographed to boot). William Powell has a larger role to play, although his character is overshadowed by Richard Arlen who makes a reasonably convincing stab at the Sun-Never-Sets hero (and as his role is completely silent, his accent never shatters this illusion). Watch for a natural-born actor, Harold Hightower, in his only movie role as the boy with the monkey. Directors Schoedsack and Cooper (of King Kong fame) contribute some really thrilling, shot-on-exotic-locations, all-action sequences, including an eye-numbing hippo stampede that seems to go on forever yet never runs out of puff.