Old Ironsides is a 1926 American silent historical war film directed by James Cruze and starring Charles Farrell, Esther Ralston, Wallace Beery, George Bancroft and Boris Karloff in a small role. It was produced and distributed by Paramount Pictures.
A novelisation by A.M.R. Wright called Sons of the Sea was published by The Readers Library, to coincide with the release of the film in England.
Contents
Plot
In 1798, "North African pirates" pillage ships in the Mediterranean Sea and sell their captives into slavery. USS Constitution 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 ship Esther, and he joins its crew. When Esther reaches the Mediterranean, she too, along with Constitution, becomes involved in the battle against the pirates.
Cast
Charles Farrell as The Boy
Esther Ralston as The Girl
Wallace Beery as The Bos'n
George Bancroft as The Gunner. A closeup of a tattoo on Bancroft's arm reveals that his character's name is "G. Bancroft".
Charles Hill Mailes as Commodore Preble
Johnnie Walker as Stephen Decatur
Eddie Fetherston as Richard Somers
George Godfrey as The Cook
William Conklin as Esther's Father
Nick De Ruiz as The Bashaw
Effie Ellsler as Esther's Mother
Frank Jonasson as Pirate Captain
Duke Kahanamoku as Pirate Captain
Boris Karloff as A Saracen Guard
Fred Kohler as Second Mate
Harold Norton as sailor (uncredited)
Gary Cooper was in the film as an extra.
Production
The movie was shot in a widescreen process that Paramount promoted as "Magnascope". 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 of Old Ironsides the audience "stood up and cheered" when the Magnascope was activated.
This lavish oceangoing epic features battle scenes with sailing ships and pirates. The Maine-built ship Llewellyn J. Morse was refitted as USS Constitution. A real 1886 ship, S. N. Castle, was burned and sunk for the film off Catalina Island.
Box office receipts from the premiere at the Rialto Theater went to the USS Constitution restoration fund.
Availability
Paramount Studios released a VHS video tape edition in 1987.
The Museum of Modern Art in New York City exhibited a restored 35mm print of the film in December 2008.