Noah's Ark (film)

Infobox Film
name = Noah’s Ark


caption = Film poster
director = Michael Curtiz
writers = Darryl F. Zanuck (story)
Anthony Coldeway (adaptation)
starring = George O'Brien
Dolores Costello
accociate producer = Darryl F. Zanuck (uncredited)
cinematography = Barney McGill
Hal Mohr
editing = Harold McCord
music = Louis Silvers
Alois Reiser
distributor = Warner Bros.
released = 1928
runtime = 135 minutes
country = USA
language = English
imdb_id = 0020223

"Noah’s Ark" is a 1928 American early romantic Melodrama disaster film directed by Michael Curtiz and written by Darryl F. Zanuck. The film starred George O'Brien and Dolores Costello. Released by Warner Bros. studio, the film was important in that it was representative of the transition from silent movies to “talkies”, although it was essentially a kind of film known as a part-talkie, utilizing new (at that time) Vitaphone sound-on-disc technology.

During the filming of the climactic flood scene, the great volume of water used was so overwhelming that three extras drowned, one was so badly injured that his leg needed to be amputated, and a number suffered broken limbs and other serious injuries. [cite book |author=Baxter, John O. |title=Stunt; the story of the great movie stunt men |publisher=Doubleday |location=Garden City, N.Y |year=1974 |pages= |isbn=0-385-06520-5 |oclc= |doi=] Dolores Costello caught a severe case of pneumonia. John Wayne and Andy Devine appeared among the hundreds of extras in the flood scene. Wayne also worked in the prop department for the film.

ynopsis

On the eve of “The Great War” (WWI), American Travis (George O'Brien) and German Marie (Dolores Costello) meet on the Orient Express, which wrecks when a bridge washes out. Travis, and his friend Al, rescue Marie, and Travis falls in love with her. When the war breaks out, Al enlists and Travis follows him shortly, after the two lovers have married. When a Russian military officer (Noah Beery) accuses Marie of being a German spy, she is sentenced to face a firing squad, but Travis, who is part of the squad rescues her in the nick of time. When the French town they are hiding in is bombed by the Germans, the couple and others are trapped below a demolished building. Here, a minister makes a lengthy comparison of the war to the ancient Biblical account of the time of Noah and the Flood.

Cast

*Dolores Costello as Marie/Miriam
*George O'Brien as Travis/Japheth
*Noah Beery as Nickoloff/King Nephiliu
*Louise Fazenda as Hilda/Tavern Maid
*Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams as Al/Ham (billed as Gwynn Williams)
*Paul McAllister as Minister/Noah
*Myrna Loy as Dancer/Slave Girl
*Anders Randolf as The German/Leader of Soldiers
*Armand Kaliz as The Frenchman/Leader of the King's Guard
*William V. Mong as Innkeeper/Guard
*Malcolm Waite as The Blakan/Shem
*Nigel De Brulier as Soldier/High Priest
*Noble Johnson as Broker
*Otto Hoffman as Trader

Uncredited cast

*Joe Bonomo as Aide to Leader of Soldiers
*Andy Devine as Flood Extra
*Alphonse Martell as French Policeman
*Torben Meyer as Man on Train
*Nina Quartero as French Girl
*Cliff Saum as Soldier in Trench
*John Wayne as Flood Extra

Release & re-release

The film premiered in Hollywood in late 1928, and was scheduled to be released originally as a silent film in 1929. Warner Bros. withdrew the film and added several scenes of dialogue and a soundtrack, then re-released it later the same year, due largely to the overwhelming success of "the Jazz Singer".

The film was re-released in 1957 (or at least 75 minutes of it), with only the silent portions featuring the story of the Ark utilized. The dialogue and soundtrack portions envolving the modern storyline were cut out.

Preservation

The original release of 135 minutes is no longer extant. This film has been partially restored to the length of 100 minutes by the UCLA Film and Television Archive in conjunction with the project . It was released in laserdisc format in October, 1993.

ee also

* John Wayne filmography (1926-1940)

References

External links

*imdb title|0020223|Noah's Ark|(1928)
* [http://biblical-studies.ca/pop/OT_on_film1.html "The Old Testament on Film" at [e-mail]]
* [http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=157645297 Dolores Costello's MySpace.com webpage]
* [http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/sound/sound04.htm "The Transition from Silent to Sound" at The American Widescreen Museum website]