Joan Crawford looked stunning in this pretty conventional romantic drama
but her life at this time was anything but smooth sailing. She had just
finished the abortive "Rose Marie" where the disintergration of James
Murray's career due to alcoholism was a lesson that she would remember
all her life. As well as that she had met and was having a giddy romance
with Douglas Fairbanks Jr. - she wanted to improve herself culturally and
Doug made it look so effortless. The culture she was absorbing made her
rebel against the romantic programmers she was being given and even
though her co-stars were the top male stars of the studio, the movies
were not among their better efforts.
This was yet another version of Ben Ames William's "All the Brothers Were Valiant" (he also helped with the script). Joel Shore (played by an almost radiant Ramon Novarro) dreams of the sea and heroic adventures which he shares with beauteous Priscilla (it's wonderful to see a lovely Joan Crawford, just before her breakthrough role in "Our Dancing Daughters") . He is treated like a kid by his older, more robust brothers who are having a rare reunion when each of their boats dock at the same time. Blustering Mark (Ernest Torrance) decides he wants to marry Priscilla and seeing this is in 1857 - the only person who has to consent is her father, poor Priscilla is as shocked as anyone when they stand up in church to announce it!!! Meanwhile Joel, having proved himself in a bar room brawl, has earned his place on the "Nathan Ross" but all is not well on board. Mark realises that he doesn't have Priscilla's love and goes to pieces, the other brother Noah (played by Dan Wolheim, brother of Louis) is swept overboard in a gale and when Mark impulsively makes Joel First Mate, a few of the crew plan a mutiny in Singapore. Next thing, the "Nathan Ross" is returning to port with Mark and Noah marked as "drowned" and Joel in irons because, according to the assumed captain (Mason), he cowardly deserted his brother.
The scenes of the gale are highly dramatic and the ship is magnificent but even though there is a stunning battle on board ship with Novarro chased onto the yardarm as he and the villain fight to the death, the last third of the movie strains credibility. Joel knows Mark is alive somewhere in a Singapore port and, along with an unwilling Priscilla, steals the boat in order to bring Mark back.....
MGM realised they had a screen idol in Ramon Novarro and when most stars at the time were fearing the mike, Novarro, who had kept up his singing tuition throughout the 1920s, was given a new lease of career in the talkers as MGM promoted him in a series of light operettas designed to give him appeal as a Latin Lover singer.
Also in the movie, a beautiful Anna May Wong as a Singapore bar girl - she makes the most of her screen time, you won't forget her!!
Very Recommended.
This was yet another version of Ben Ames William's "All the Brothers Were Valiant" (he also helped with the script). Joel Shore (played by an almost radiant Ramon Novarro) dreams of the sea and heroic adventures which he shares with beauteous Priscilla (it's wonderful to see a lovely Joan Crawford, just before her breakthrough role in "Our Dancing Daughters") . He is treated like a kid by his older, more robust brothers who are having a rare reunion when each of their boats dock at the same time. Blustering Mark (Ernest Torrance) decides he wants to marry Priscilla and seeing this is in 1857 - the only person who has to consent is her father, poor Priscilla is as shocked as anyone when they stand up in church to announce it!!! Meanwhile Joel, having proved himself in a bar room brawl, has earned his place on the "Nathan Ross" but all is not well on board. Mark realises that he doesn't have Priscilla's love and goes to pieces, the other brother Noah (played by Dan Wolheim, brother of Louis) is swept overboard in a gale and when Mark impulsively makes Joel First Mate, a few of the crew plan a mutiny in Singapore. Next thing, the "Nathan Ross" is returning to port with Mark and Noah marked as "drowned" and Joel in irons because, according to the assumed captain (Mason), he cowardly deserted his brother.
The scenes of the gale are highly dramatic and the ship is magnificent but even though there is a stunning battle on board ship with Novarro chased onto the yardarm as he and the villain fight to the death, the last third of the movie strains credibility. Joel knows Mark is alive somewhere in a Singapore port and, along with an unwilling Priscilla, steals the boat in order to bring Mark back.....
MGM realised they had a screen idol in Ramon Novarro and when most stars at the time were fearing the mike, Novarro, who had kept up his singing tuition throughout the 1920s, was given a new lease of career in the talkers as MGM promoted him in a series of light operettas designed to give him appeal as a Latin Lover singer.
Also in the movie, a beautiful Anna May Wong as a Singapore bar girl - she makes the most of her screen time, you won't forget her!!
Very Recommended.