TCM's Silent Sunday: "Captain Salvation"

[Big Silent Fan]

The 1927 film with Lars Hanson will be shown Sunday night. I went looking on YouTube to see if the film was also available there, but could only find clips of the film to watch today. HOWEVER; at Youtube, I found that the full-length HD version is scheduled to be released on YouTube on 2/3/2017. When I clicked on the link, it says, "Watch the live stream in 12 days."

Wouldn't it be nice if TCM broadcasts the latest version tomorrow night.

[jharvat]

I DVR'd this movie and only got around to seeing it in the last week or so. I have to admit I really, really liked it, to the point where I fully admit to being pretty misty-eyed at the end. Pauline Starke was terrific.

[radiotelefonia]

[missdupont]

The film often runs on TCM, this isn't it's first airing.

[Big Silent Fan]

The film often runs on TCM, this isn't it's first airing.

Yes, but like so many recent showings on TCM, the picture quality is improved over earlier broadcasts.

YouTube is offering this HD quality video as a streaming service on a certain day, but it's not something I know how to do.

[silentfilm]

Also available on DVD from the Warner Archive.

[The Blackbird]

Superb movie.... has anyone else ever read the original novel? It's quite different from what they filmed.

[Big Silent Fan]

Superb movie.... has anyone else ever read the original novel? It's quite different from what they filmed.

I haven't, but the plot does sound interesting and somewhat familiar, even if it's a completely different story.

Assuming you've read it, what did you think?

It's available at Amazon for around $10.00.

[The Blackbird]

I don't want to engage is any spoilers, but Lars Hanson's captain is a far less sympathetic character, Pauline Starke's character is far more ruthless towards him and has less to do in general. On the other hand, Marceline Day's character has more to do, while the entire section involving Ernest Torrance and his ship simply never happens, nor does he appear. Instead the climax involves surviving the aftermath of a shipwreck, actually the second one in the narrative.

[silentfilm]

This weekend TCM broadcast their 2005 restoration of Captain Salvation (1927) with Lars Hanson, Pauline Starke, Marceline Day, and Ernest Torrence. The film had an excellect score written by Phil Carli which was performed by him and a few others.

It is the 1840s in coastal Massachusetts, and Mary (Marceline Day) runs to the dock with the rest of the townspeople to meet an arriving ship. On board is Anson (Lars Hanson) her sweetheart, who has just returned from divinity school. Anson's uncle and the townspeople are a little shocked that he is wearing a working man's shirt and no collar.

Anson stays with some crusty old sailors like George Fawcett. One night, during a storm, a ship drops off a "fallen woman" who is not feeling well, Bess Morgan (Pauline Starke). The townspeople want nothing to do with her. Anson and the old sailors take her in and take care of her. Anson gets to know her and finds out that her step-father raped her, but her baby died.

The townspeople demand that she leave town at once. Mary even doubts Anson and asks him to put her out. When he refuses, Mary leaves him. With nothing left for them in town, Bess and Anson catch a ride on a passing frigate headed to South America.

Unfortunately, captain Ernest Torrence is not whom he seems. He's sailing a convict ship, delivering slaves to South America. He already has a lecherous eye on Bess. Anson is whipped and thrown in the brig with the rest of the convicts. He is convinced that Hell is on Earth, and there is no God. Will their misery ever end?

This is a good, but not great film that is definitely helped by Dr. Carli's music. Hanson overacts a bit at times, but he is having a really bad cruise. Starke steals the film effortlessly as the wronged woman with a "heart of gold". The townspeople's redemption at the end of the film is a little hard to believe. Although a silent film, this is definitely a PreCode film as rape comes up a couple of times.

The best part of the film is the fight between Hanson and Torrence among the sails and ship masts. Director John Robertson had cameraman William Daniels shoot a bird's-eye view from atop the crow's nest on the ship, and also from far below as the two combatants go at it. I spotted Flora Finch in a bit part as a townsperson, and Louise Eammons as the old hag on the convict ship.

[FrankFay]

I don't want to engage is any spoilers, but Lars Hanson's captain is a far less sympathetic character, Pauline Starke's character is far more ruthless towards him and has less to do in general. On the other hand, Marceline Day's character has more to do, while the entire section involving Ernest Torrance and his ship simply never happens, nor does he appear. Instead the climax involves surviving the aftermath of a shipwreck, actually the second one in the narrative.

It wouldn't be the first nor the last time a novel's plot was massacred for the screen. "The Cruise of the Jasper B." by Don Marquis has only a few scattered plot points in common with the film. It isn't that good a novel either- Marquis was to go on to better things

[silentfilm]

According to composer Phil Carli, the original nitrate negative for this film was sent to the lab a few weeks before the 1966 M-G-M vault fire. That saved the film from being lost.

[Big Silent Fan]

It wouldn't be the first nor the last time a novel's plot was massacred for the screen. "The Cruise of the Jasper B." by Don Marquis has only a few scattered plot points in common with the film. It isn't that good a novel either- Marquis was to go on to better things

"Captain Salvation" is also the name of a 1925 novel by Frederick William Wallace. That's where I always assumed the story originated from.
Yes, other than the character names, the novel and the film are nothing alike. The novel is a good deal more of a gritty story about kidnapping a woman because of his lust than anything else.

Since "Captain Salvation" has long been a favorite film, I bought the novel a few years back.