Noah's Ark (1928/I)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Darryl F. Zanuck (story)
Anthony Coldeway (adaptation)

Release Date:

21 November 1929 (Denmark)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

See and Hear the spectacle of the ages!

Plot:

The Biblical story of Noah and the Great Flood, with a parallel story of soldiers in the First World War.

Plot Keywords:

German | Flood | Parallel Story | Biblical | Firing Squad

Cast

Dolores Costello	...	Mary / Miriam
George O'Brien	...	Travis / Japheth
Noah Beery	...	Nickoloff / King Nephiliu
Louise Fazenda	...	Hilda / Tavern Maid
Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams	...	Al / Ham (as Gwynn Williams)
Paul McAllister	...	Minister / Noah
Myrna Loy	...	Dancer / Slave Girl
Anders Randolf	...	The German / Leader of Soldiers
Armand Kaliz	...	The Frenchman / Leader of the King's Guard
William V. Mong	...	Innkeeper / Guard
Malcolm Waite	...	The Blakan / Shem
Nigel De Brulier	...	Soldier / High Priest
Noble Johnson	...	Broker
Otto Hoffman	...	Investor with Gun / Trader

Runtime:

135 min | USA:75 min (re-release) (1957) | USA:100 min (1990s restoration)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Vitaphone) (talking sequences) | Mono (Western Electric Apparatus) (musical score and sound effects)

Certification:

USA:Not Rated | USA:TV-G (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Big Basin, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Three extras drowned during the filming of the flood scene.

Quotes:

Al: This war is more than just a fight. It's more like a funeral. And everybody ought to be in the procession or the hearse.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Bible According to Hollywood (1994) (V)

Soundtrack:

Old Timer

NOAH'S ARK (Michael Curtiz, 1928) ***1/2

The film which cemented versatile director Curtiz' reputation in Hollywood is a part-Talkie spectacular which, despite the title, is not entirely concerned with the famous holocaust depicted in the Old Testament. Rather, it purports to parallel the Deluge with the massive losses in human life incurred during the so-called Great War; in that respect, NOAH'S ARK survives not merely as a solid example of late 1920s film craftsmanship but also as a heartfelt morality play delineating the long-lasting effect of that particular combat upon society – pity that, for all its good intentions, a second (and infinitely harsher) World War would be waged in the space of just 11 years! Anyway, to get back to the topic at hand, I knew the film enjoyed a considerable reputation among epic productions of the Silent era but, aware of the fact that the Biblical tale was only illustrated in the form of a vision (lasting for about 40 of its 100 minutes) embedded within the main plot, I had expected to be disappointed by it. However, we open on a remarkably elaborate prologue (superbly-edited in the contemporary Soviet style) and the WWI sequences themselves are well done (featuring even a spectacular train crash early on) and prove surprisingly absorbing in their own right (especially the interaction between the four protagonists – Noah Beery, Dolores Costello, George O'Brien and Guinn "Big Boy" Williams). Incidentally, all four (and a few others) play additional roles in the Noah story; this section is done on a truly grand scale, in clear imitation of Cecil B. DeMille (with a couple of obvious nods to THE TEN COMMANDMENTS [1923] which, coincidentally, I watched 2 days later!) – with the flood itself still highly impressive after all these years and undoubtedly deserving to be ranked among the finest sequences in all of cinema (though controversy still rages about the apparent disregard for the consideration and safety of those involved – with three extras reportedly drowning and several more getting injured during its shooting)!