Das Galeerenschiff

I must admit I've only seen one clip, of this rumored to be picturesque silent, on an old HBO documentary on the 1920s. That was in the early 1980s. This film treatment on the much filmed Manon Lescaut romance story is known to exist. It is not a lost film yet it is almost never seen even though it would presumably be owned by Turner Classics being a Warner Bros. silent. This was the film in which Ethel Barrymore upon seeing commented that her brother John Barrymore basically threw his part away in order for Dolores Costello, then Barrymore's girlfriend and soon to be wife, to standout and shine. Costello was then concurrently starring in Warner's "Old San Francisco"(1927), which had a Vitaphone pre-recorded soundtrack. WAML was John Barrymore's third and final film in a three picture deal with Warner Brothers and it followed the better know Don Juan. WAML had a Vitaphone pre-recorded soundtrack with musical score & sound effects, the same as Don Juan. Vitaphone was the pioneer system where the music, sound effects, speech etc. was recorded on an LP type of wax disc rather than the later standard of film. Byron Haskin, WAML's Cinematographer, said in an interview that this was a wonderful story to photograph and was superior to Don Juan photographically in many respects IHHO. Incidentally director Alan Crosland seemed to be involved with all things Vitaphone & Warner Brothers at this time. He was not only the director of WAML but the aforementioned Old San Francisco & Don Juan as well as the talking film breakthrough The Jazz Singer. Maybe one day Turner Classics will surprise everyone and resurrect WAML, a late silent/major studio obscurity. Perhaps some kind of restoration is in order and that includes the original pre-recorded soundtrack if it exists. I'm sure it's as gorgeous as Don Juan's soundtrack.

French nobleman Fabian des Grieux (John Barrymore) is training for the priesthood. However, he comes to the rescue of the beautiful Manon Lescaut (Dolores Costello), whose brother André (Warner Oland) is trying to sell her to Comte Guillot de Morfontaine (Sam De Grasse).

This is pretty long for a silent film at 110 minutes, but it goes by very quickly. Barrymore is excellent (if a tad melodramatic), and Dolores Costello is radiant. Warner Oland is entertaining as the slimy brother, and Sam De Grasse is good as the villain. There's a good sword fight, and the production design and costumes are fantastic. An uncredited Myrna Loy can be seen briefly towards the end.

First time viewing. 4/5

When a Man Loves (1927)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Silent melodrama about a man (John Barrymore) studying for the priesthood when he falls in love with a woman (Dolores Costello) whose brother (Warner Oland) has sold her for prostitution. This film is beautiful on the eye but the story is pretty lacking, which makes it rather difficult to sit through the 110-minute running time. The costume design and sets all look extremely well especially a torture dungeon used on a ship towards the end of the movie. Both Barrymore and Costello, who would be married the following year, are very good in their roles but Oland comes off rather bland. Myrna Loy has a cameo but I wasn't able to spot her. The screenplay is all over the place but as I said earlier the story never gets too thrilling or dramatic so it left me rather cold. This is another early Vitaphone film and the movie was released two weeks before The Jazz Singer. There isn't any spoken dialogue but there's several sound effects, which are pretty silly especially some of the effects used during a thunderstorm.

Another commenter wondered whether Turner Classics would resurrect this film. I was lucky enough to see that happen this weekend on their Sunday silents. The film is a beautifully done piece; the scenery, costuming and makeup is amazing. The characterizations are darling. John Barrymore does seem to play down his role somewhat, but overall the acting is very well done. The whole movie makes me want to read the French story upon which it is based, as much because of what the movie does say as because of what it doesn't. The subject matter is a fascinating look at what is acceptable in society both of the time the story was written and the time the movie was made. A worthwhile film if you can catch it!

Before John Barrymore left for United Artist, he had one last movie to make to fulfill his three-picture contract with Warner Brothers. He starred along with his future wife Dolores Costello in February 1927's "When a Man Loves," a period piece based on Abbe Prevost's 1731 novel Manon Lescaut.

Warner Brothers continued with its experimentation into sound films with "When a Man Loves," the studio's third disc-on-sound Vitaphone picture. At its February 4, 1927 premier, the New York City theater audience failed to pay attention to the empty musical pit usually filled with an orchestra. So crisp was the music coming out of the house's speakers they completely forgot about the lack of musicians. Just as the film concluded, there appeared a brief 15-second clip of the Vitaphone Symphony Orchestra with its conductor on the screen. It was then the patrons realized all the music was pre-recorded and synchronized to the movie. They went nuts.