Customer Reviews

Old Ironsides [VHS]

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Old Ironsides is a fine film dealing with the American Navy's fight against Barbary Coast pirates at the end of the 18th century. Its depiction of life on board ship, during this period, seems accurate, including details such as spreading sand on the deck during battle so that sailors wouldn't slip on the blood and gore. Moreover it uses a number of full-size sailing ships during these battles and these ships look completely authentic. The performances in the film are at times a little broad. This is especially the case with Wallace Beery and George Bancroft as hard fighting sailors. But these two are always fun to watch and a bit of over the top acting can be forgiven in an adventure film. Charles Farrell and Esther Ralston play the romantic leads. Ralston looks lovely but is somewhat passive and insipid. Her role is almost entirely decorative. Farrell is rather better but finds himself constantly overshadowed by Beery and Bancroft. The video box mentions Boris Karloff as being in the cast, implying that he has a major role. This is not so. He can just about be glimpsed as an Arab extra. Gary Cooper is also supposed to be among the extras, but I didn't notice him at all.

The print used on the Paramount video is very good, clear and sharp with hardly any apparent damage. The film is accompanied by a fine Gaylord Carter organ score. Old Ironsides is great fun with lots of stunning action. Those who enjoy sea battles between old sailing ships will not be disappointed.

Having recently seen and thoroughly enjoyed MASTER & COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD with Russell Crowe and its incredible depiction of life aboard an early 19th century frigate, I felt compelled to trot out this silent classic from my VHS collection (it's not available on DVD) and revisit this 1926 view of shipboard life. I hadn't seen the film in quite some time and was surprised to note that several scenes in OLD IRONSIDES are quite similar to scenes in MASTER & COMMANDER. Surely director Peter Weir must have screened this film before making his. The battle sequences are very similar with sand being spread on deck to absorb blood, the crew hitting the deck to avoid a volley, young boys dying during the fighting, and fierce close up hand to hand combat. Both movies are set during the same time period but the storylines are very different with the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) versus the Barbary Pirates being the setting here and in the classic Hollywood tradition there is a woman involved.

Charles Farrell who was a big romantic lead in the 20's especially when paired with Janet Gaynor, shows here why he was so popular. He is vulnerable but heroic, reserved but not stoic and he possesses an effortless charm that makes him appealing. Although playing the standard damsel in distress role, Esther Ralston makes an engaging heroine who is not a total wimp when the going gets tough. Character actors Wallace Beery and George Bancroft have a field day as feuding sailors while George Godfrey is featured in a more significant role than black actors of the time were usually given. Add to that some brief nudity and a discreetly sexy performance from Ralston (she was once known as The American Venus) and you have a real winner on your hands. The film is well directed by James Cruze (THE COVERED WAGON, THE GREAT GABBO) who is all but forgotten today due to most of his films being lost. Hopefully Paramount will soon release this on DVD along with the others in their silent film series of a few years ago including WINGS. Until then this VHS version which features a beautiful print and a digitally recorded organ score by Gaylord Carter at an excellent price is certainly worth having.

Oliver Wendell Holmes' famous 1830 poem "Old Ironsides" ("Ay, tear her tattered ensign down!") ends up being a silent screen navy adventure story in this 1926 film from director James Cruze. The story is now a historical romance, with the history being the war between the young United States and the Barbary pirates of Northern Africa (the shores of Tripoli you have heard sung about), and the romance being between the Boy (Charles Farrell) and young Esther (the beautiful Esther Ralston from Chaplin's "The Kid"). The film begins with Congress authorizing the lauching of the U.S.S. Constitution (the ship that would be immortalized as "Old Ironsides") and the U.S.S. Philadelphia. The Boy goes off to see on a ship named for young Esther and the young girl might be the only thing he loves more than the sea. On a trip across the Atlantic the Boy learns to be a true seaman, and he is called the Commodore after he trespasses on the poop deck to talk to Esther.

The middle part of the film has the Esther (the ship) being captured by pirates and brought to Tripoli, where the crew is enslaved and Esther (the Girl) being designated for the pleasures of the Sultan. Meanwhile, the U.S.S. Constitution arrives on the scene intent on destroying the Philadelphia, an American ship captured by the pirates that is being turned into a raider. Once that mission is accomplished, Lt. Stephen Decatur (Johnnie Walker), picks up the Commodore, the Bos'n (Wallace Beery), the Gunner (George Bancroft, and the Cook (George Godfrey), who have escaped from the pirates. Learning about the situation, Decatur attacks the pirates and provides the ship with a thrilling climax of hand-to-hand combat. Right before this there is neat little scene where Decatur has to punish the Gunner, who has AWOL because he was shanghaied to serving on the Esther. The punishment is 200 lashes, but the Gunner receives only two because Decatur counts them counts them as one hundred and two hundred.

"Old Ironsides" is close to be a really great action film. The first third where the Commodore learns to be a good seaman has several nice scenes, and the supporting cast of old tars is above average (Beery and Godfrey have fun stealing all of their scenes). However, the melodramatic middle third with the Esther's crew enslaved is average at best although the two principles are nice to look at. However, the film ends strongly with the climatic battle where "Old Ironsides" earns her name, even if historically that did not happen until the War of 1812. Boris Karloff has a bit part as a pirate and Olympic hero Duke Kahanamoku plays a Pirate Captain, while Gary Cooper is in this film somewhere as well if you want to spend time trying to spot him. This silent film is well worth seeing.

This classic from the silent movie era is great fun and an historically accurate romance/adventure about the battles against the Barbary pirates. There is plenty of action in what must have been one of the first films to depict a sea battle. And yet the scenes are very realistic in what it probably was like. The only literary license they took was when the cannonball bounced off the side which resulted in the USS CONSTITUTION being dubbed "Old Ironsides". That actually happened in a later war.

The US Constitution has been elected the ship to police the high seas, a necessary addition because of the amount of piracy. The nation is proud of this ship and many young men yearn to sail aboard her. The Commodore (Charles Farrell) is no different but he is swindled to sail aboard the Esther by its captain (Wallace Beery). The captain also shanghais a friend on board (George Bancroft), a man who is supposed to be the gunner on the Constitution. The ship cook says the Esther is doomed from the start because she carries a woman on board (Esther Ralston), and that turns out to be right. One just can't avoid pirates these days.

A truly adventurous film, Old Ironsides is a delight from start to finish . It's length might sound long, but there is action every moment.

The real attraction here are the stars. Ralston is the least noteworthy as her job is basically to look pretty, but she has great chemistry with Farrell. He is standout in his role, appropriately innocent and undeniably sexy. The moment that he passionately acts on his desires for Esther is intense and brings the romantic aspect of the film to a who new level. There aren't many actors who can inspire such strong emotions with no words and only a few minutes of film. The friendship between Beery and Bancroft is an excellent addition to the story. Their fights are hilarious and each man exudes a wealth of personality; it is difficult not to like them despite Beery's reputation. Look closely to see Bancroft spouting off some foul language when he learns that the new gunner has not properly done his job.