Across to Singapore (1928)

Conflict ensues when a young man's childhood sweetheart becomes betrothed to his older brother.

Director:

William Nigh

Writers:

Ben Ames Williams (book), Ted Shane (adaptation)

Stars:

Ramon Novarro, Joan Crawford, Ernest Torrence

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ramon Novarro	...	Joel Shore
Joan Crawford	...	Priscilla Crowninshield
Ernest Torrence	...	Capt. Mark Shore
Frank Currier	...	Jeremiah Shore
Dan Wolheim	...	Noah Shore
Duke Martin	...	Matthew Shore
Edward Connelly	...	Joshua Croninshield
Jim Mason	...	Finch (as James Mason)

Storyline

It's the mid-nineteenth century. The neighboring Shore and Crowninshield families of the American east coast have a long tradition of seafaring. Of Jeremiah Shore's four sons, the only one not at sea is the youngest, Joel Shore, solely because of his age. Joel has had a long friendship with the Crowninshield's daughter, Priscilla Crowninshield, that friendship which is now on the brink of romantic love as they become of age, although this new-found love is unspoken on both sides. Joel hopes that when his eldest brother, Mark Shore, captain of the Nathan Ross, returns home from his latest voyage, he will allow Joel to sail with him. Although Mark still sees Joel as the "youngin'" of the family, Joel, through slightly underhanded means, is able to convince Mark that he is man enough to become a sailor. Also on this layover at home, Mark notices that Priscilla has become a beautiful young woman, who he now wants to marry. Mark arranges the engagement with his father and Priscilla's ...

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Plot Keywords:

love | engagement | brother | ship | singapore | 

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Taglines:

---A Romance full of the tang of the Seven Seas!

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 April 1928 (USA)

Also Known As:

Across to Singapore

Box Office

Budget:

$290,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$596,000, 31 December 1928

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Title Card: There is always a Sunday morning after a Saturday night.

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Connections

Version of All the Brothers Were Valiant (1923)

User Reviews

The brothers are rivals

Across To Singapore is the second of three films that MGM did from the novel All The Brothers Were Valiant. As I did not think all that much of the sound version that Robert Taylor and Stewart Granger did in the 50s, so to I feel this one was up to snuff. I still cannot understand why a sea captain takes his bride on a voyage, the inevitable has to happen people being human.

The protagonist brothers Shore in this version are Ramon Novarro as the youngest and good looking one and the oldest is Ernest Torrence. There are two middle brothers here and they favor more Torrence than Novarro.

The girl the brothers are rivals over is played by Joan Crawford and for flinty New England Yankee types these two brothers get all hot and bothered over Crawford. All the basic plot elements from the novel are there with the rivalry and mutiny at sea. Still this one deviates quite a bit from the story in the first and third versions. The first silent film had Lon Chaney and Billie Dove starring and it's considered lost.

The overall story concept I'm still not crazy about, but the players do fine.