| Old Ironsides | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | James Cruze |
| Written by | Dorothy Arzner Harry Carr Walter Woods (scenario) Rupert Hughes (intertitles) |
| Starring | Charles Farrell Esther Ralston Wallace Beery George Bancroft |
| Cinematography | Alfred Gilks |
| Music by | Hugo Riesenfeld J. S. Zamecnik |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 111 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (Englishintertitles) |
| Box office | $1.1 million (U.S. and Canada rentals)[1] |
Old Ironsides is a 1926 Americansilenthistoricalwar film directed byJames Cruze and starringCharles Farrell,Esther Ralston,Wallace Beery,George Bancroft andBoris Karloff in a small role.[2] It was produced and distributed byParamount Pictures.
A novelisation by A.M.R. Wright calledSons of the Sea was published by The Readers Library, to coincide with the release of the film in England.
In 1798,"North African pirates" pillage ships in theMediterranean Sea and sell their captives into slavery. USSConstitution is launched as part of an effort to stop them. Meanwhile, a young man determined to go to sea (Farrell) is befriended by the bosun (Beery) of the merchant shipEsther, and he joins its crew. WhenEsther reaches the Mediterranean, she too, along withConstitution, becomes involved in the battle against the pirates.
Gary Cooper was in the film as an extra.[3]
The movie was shot in awidescreen process that Paramount promoted as "Magnascope".[4] This process was used to heighten the visual effects in specific points in the film by switching to a larger "widescreen" thus enhancing the visual drama of the feature. It was reported that at the premiere ofOld Ironsides the audience "stood up and cheered" when the Magnascope was activated.[5]
This lavish oceangoing epic features battle scenes with sailing ships and pirates. The Maine-built shipLlewellyn J. Morse was refitted asUSS Constitution. A real 1886 ship,S. N. Castle, was burned and sunk for the film offCatalina Island.[6]
Box office receipts from the premiere at theRialto Theater went to theUSS Constitution restoration fund.
Paramount Studios released a VHS video tape edition in 1987.
TheMuseum of Modern Art inNew York City exhibited arestored35mm print of the film in December 2008.
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