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Moby Dick

  • 19301930
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 20m
IMDb RATING
5.6/10
526
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
7,969
1,670
John Barrymore in Moby Dick (1930)
In this extremely loose adaptation of Melville's classic novel, Ahab is revealed initially not as a bitter and vengeful madman, but as a bit of a lovable scamp. Ashore in New Bedford, he meets and falls for Faith Mapple, daughter of the local minister and beloved of Ahab's brother Derek. Faith herself quickly returns Ahab's love, as Derek is drab and ignoble. On his next voyage, however, Ahab loses a leg to the monstrous white whale Moby-Dick. When upon his return to New Bedford he mistakenly believes Faith wants nothing to do with him because of his disfigurement, Ahab returns to sea with only one goal in mind -- to find and kill the great white whale.
Play trailer1:08
1 Video
9 Photos
AdventureDrama
In this extremely loose adaptation of Melville's classic novel, Ahab is revealed initially not as a bitter and vengeful madman, but as a bit of a lovable scamp. Ashore in New Bedford, he mee... Read allIn this extremely loose adaptation of Melville's classic novel, Ahab is revealed initially not as a bitter and vengeful madman, but as a bit of a lovable scamp. Ashore in New Bedford, he meets and falls for Faith Mapple, daughter of the local minister and beloved of Ahab's brothe... Read allIn this extremely loose adaptation of Melville's classic novel, Ahab is revealed initially not as a bitter and vengeful madman, but as a bit of a lovable scamp. Ashore in New Bedford, he meets and falls for Faith Mapple, daughter of the local minister and beloved of Ahab's brother Derek. Faith herself quickly returns Ahab's love, as Derek is drab and ignoble. On his n... Read all
IMDb RATING
5.6/10
526
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
7,969
1,670
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Lloyd Bacon
    • Writers
      • Herman Melville(by)
      • Oliver H.P. Garrett(adaptation)
      • J. Grubb Alexander(screen play and dialogue)
    • Stars
      • John Barrymore
      • Joan Bennett
      • Lloyd Hughes
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Lloyd Bacon
    • Writers
      • Herman Melville(by)
      • Oliver H.P. Garrett(adaptation)
      • J. Grubb Alexander(screen play and dialogue)
    • Stars
      • John Barrymore
      • Joan Bennett
      • Lloyd Hughes
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 29User reviews
    • 7Critic reviews

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:08
    Official Trailer

    Photos9

    John Barrymore, Joan Bennett, and Lloyd Hughes in Moby Dick (1930)
    Moby Dick (1930)
    John Barrymore, Noble Johnson, and Walter Long in Moby Dick (1930)
    John Barrymore and Noble Johnson in Moby Dick (1930)
    John Barrymore in Moby Dick (1930)
    John Barrymore and Joan Bennett in Moby Dick (1930)
    John Barrymore in Moby Dick (1930)
    John Barrymore in Moby Dick (1930)

    Top cast

    Edit
    John Barrymore
    John Barrymore
    • Captain Ahab Ceely
    Joan Bennett
    Joan Bennett
    • Faith
    Lloyd Hughes
    Lloyd Hughes
    • Derek
    Noble Johnson
    Noble Johnson
    • Queequeg
    Nigel De Brulier
    Nigel De Brulier
    • Elijah
    • (as Nigel de Brulier)
    Walter Long
    Walter Long
    • Stubbs
    May Boley
    May Boley
    • Whale Oil Rosie
    Tom O'Brien
    • Starbuck
    Virginia Sale
    Virginia Sale
    • Old Maid
    John Ince
    John Ince
    • Reverend Mapple
    Tom Amandares
    • Sailor on Board during storm
    • (uncredited)
    Jay Berger
    • Boy
    • (uncredited)
    Ted Billings
    • Sailor
    • (uncredited)
    Richard Cramer
    Richard Cramer
    • Sailor
    • (uncredited)
    Jack Curtis
    Jack Curtis
    • First Mate
    • (uncredited)
    June Gittelson
    June Gittelson
    • Fat Fanny on Dock
    • (uncredited)
    Dannie Mac Grant
    Dannie Mac Grant
    • Boy
    • (uncredited)
    Otto Hoffman
    Otto Hoffman
    • Shanghai Lady Seller
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Lloyd Bacon
    • Writers
      • Herman Melville(by)
      • Oliver H.P. Garrett(adaptation)
      • J. Grubb Alexander(screen play and dialogue)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This film featured an early, experimental use of widescreen known as Magnascope. As the boats were lowered for the first chase after the whale, the screen widened; then, as Moby Dick suddenly closed in on Captain Ahab, the screen returned to its normal size. This process had been used for selected sequences of important features at certain first run film run theaters since late 1926 when it was inaugurated with Old Ironsides (1926). There was no change in ratio. The screen got larger, by using a different lens, but lighting and magnification problems limited its use to special occasions.
    • Goofs
      The cover of Melville's novel is shown, then what is ostensibly the first page. But the text shown consists of statements about whaling in general and Moby Dick. The novel, however, is written in the first person, and its first line, establishing this, is one of the most famous in all literature: "Call me Ishmael." This footage was lifted from the 1925 version, 'The Sea Beast'.
    • Quotes

      Faith Mapple: [to Capt. Ahab] Why... Why, Ahab Creely! You're crying!

    • Crazy credits
      While the credits state that the film is based on Herman Melville's novel, the first page of the novel shown onscreen right after the credits is entirely written by one of the screenwriters; it has absolutely nothing to do with Melville's original, and even leaves out Melville's classic opening sentence, "Call me Ishmael".
    • Connections
      Alternate-language version of Dämon des Meeres (1931)

    User reviews29

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Entertaining Sea Story
    Once one gets over the fact that this 1930 adaptation of Herman Melville's classic sea story has an at best tenuous relationship to the novel it's based on, it's quite enjoyable. John Barrymore makes an heroic Ahab, and Joan Bennett is fetching as his love interest (yes, I know). Warner Brothers went all out with this one, and as Barrymore was still a top leading man at the time, did a beautiful job with at least the visual aspects of the story, and the film is at times breathtaking to behold. Alas, they threw away most of the plot! Such were the ways of Hollywood. Noble Johnson makes for the best Queequeg I've ever seen, though.
    helpful•21
    3
    • telegonus
    • Aug 25, 2002

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 20, 1930 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • El azote de los mares
    • Filming locations
      • Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Warner Bros.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 20 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White

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