Post by Midge on Mar 28, 2011 10:27:10 GMT -6
Last night I saw Noah's Ark, a 1928 part-talkie Biblical epic directed by Michael Curtiz. The tale of Noah and the ark is interwoven with a World War I romance. The principal players, Dolores Costello, George O'Brien and Noah Beery Sr., play the same roles in both stories, two star-crossed lovers and a villain. The film has been restored and is in pristine condition. I was especially impressed by the rich quality of the speaking voices in the talking scenes. There is none of that thin, tinny and harsh quality that mars so many early talkies.
The special effects in Noah's Ark were magnificent for their day and many of the action scenes were excitingly staged. Clearly Warner Brothers intended this as a big-budget spectacle with no expense spared. In my opinion this is the only reason to see this movie. Though Costello and O'Brien are radiant as the young lovers and the story was well-directed by Mr. Curtiz, I think the plot was a bit too creaky for modern audiences. I found myself losing interest at times when the action stopped.
I also thought some of the World War I scenes were derivative of both Wings and The Big Parade but not quite as well done. For example, there is a scene when O'Brien leaves for war and Costello anxiously searches for him in the crowd of marching soldiers. It's good but Costello's and O'Brien's acting lacks the passionate quality that John Gilbert and Renee Adorée brought to The Big Parade.
One notable aspect of this production is that two of the hundreds of extras hired for the flood scenes lost their lives during the filming. Many more were seriously injured, and one lost his leg. It was so dangerous to film those scenes that the original cameraman, Hal Mohr, foresaw what would happen and then resigned when the director wouldn't take him seriously.
The special effects in Noah's Ark were magnificent for their day and many of the action scenes were excitingly staged. Clearly Warner Brothers intended this as a big-budget spectacle with no expense spared. In my opinion this is the only reason to see this movie. Though Costello and O'Brien are radiant as the young lovers and the story was well-directed by Mr. Curtiz, I think the plot was a bit too creaky for modern audiences. I found myself losing interest at times when the action stopped.
I also thought some of the World War I scenes were derivative of both Wings and The Big Parade but not quite as well done. For example, there is a scene when O'Brien leaves for war and Costello anxiously searches for him in the crowd of marching soldiers. It's good but Costello's and O'Brien's acting lacks the passionate quality that John Gilbert and Renee Adorée brought to The Big Parade.
One notable aspect of this production is that two of the hundreds of extras hired for the flood scenes lost their lives during the filming. Many more were seriously injured, and one lost his leg. It was so dangerous to film those scenes that the original cameraman, Hal Mohr, foresaw what would happen and then resigned when the director wouldn't take him seriously.
