Captain Salvation

This first-rate production from MGM, effectively evoking the Victorian atmosphere and attitudes of 1840s New England, is a fine film about the redemptive power of religion that isn't at all preachy or stereotypical.

Highlighted by sensitive performances from Lars Hansen as a divinity student, Marceline Day as his fiancée, and especially Pauline Starke as the prostitute who comes between them, this film is not a melodrama as some have described it, but treats seriously complex issues of rape and the Christian's moral duty to sinners, and shows to what desperate measures people may resort in order to achieve redemption. Without giving away too much, I will add that the way former prostitute Bess Morgan preserves her new-found virtue defies Christian orthodoxy yet defines her as a hero just the same, and demonstrates just how subtle these early non-talking films could be.

I just finished watching "Captain Salvation" on Turner Classic Movie's "Silent Sunday". I was greatly impressed by the quality of the print, with great picture clarity, facial expressions, town scenes (we had just watched the "High Noon" DVD that evening, and it was comparable in picture quality). The new soundtrack showed copyright 2005. All of the dialog boards were, of course, new.

The storyline was something else, but still delightful to get a feel for the dramatic overacting required of silent stars in the 1920's. The ending storyboard explained "and that is how the first Gospel Ship came into being". What a great experience, to feel transported back in time.

Thank-you TCM for the efforts and monies to rescue these films, and then for sharing them with us.

Lars Hanson is a seminary student in this silent feature, who is engaged and a model citizen in a small fishing village on the coast of Massachusetts in olden times, but his defense of a lady of ill repute who's "lost" lands him in hot water and the people who have been shunning her have started to alienate him as well. Through a series of events, both of them get out of town by means of a ship, which is presumably a fishing or cargo ship in search for goods, and thereby leaves his girl in the wake of the upset and still pining for him. But, on the ship, they soon find out that the crew and captain are not what they seem. After a scuffle and a dramatic moment between the young lady and the captain, the emotional ending begins. What began as a rather straight-forward and involving little film becomes a very moving and sensitive experience. I'm so glad I taped and watched this forgotten film. Lars Hanson, star of The Scarlet Letter with Lillian Gish, and who was quite the sex symbol of his day, is very effective as a man of the cloth and underplays his role. What might have been corny or over-the-top by someone like Richard Dix is very heartfelt and sincere by Lars. "Captain Salvation" can be found on TCM (in fact it was just on, but I watched my own copy of it) and is a silent film that sadly has been overshadowed by major films like Metropolis, Sunrise, Greed, and a lot of director D.W. Griffith's. Discover it today.

"Captain Salvation" (1927) stars Lars Hanson, Pauline Starke, Marceline Day, Ernest Torrence, and a host of fine silent character actors known well in the day, such as George Fawcett, Sam de Grasse, Flora Finch, Eugenie Besserer, and James Marcus. A seminary student - one who ardently loves the sea and ships - returns to a small town near Boston in 1840 where it is presumed that he'll soon take over the pulpit from his uncle. A ship comes into near harbor during a nor'-easter and a very bedraggled, sick, and possibly injured prostitute, Pauline Starke, is taken off of the boat and brought into the village. Here the young man of the cloth, Hanson, befriends and helps her recover, leading to what nearly looks like proclaimed damnation from the other citizens, including his fiancé, Marceline Day. Because of all this, he is later driven to take Starke to a waiting ship in harbor, where the captain, Torrence, says the ship is going to "Rio". It's not. It's a convict ship going to the far southern hemisphere where the convicts will be used in salt mines. The captain plans to "use" Starke. Hanson decides to stay on the ship to make sure she's all right. Of course she's not. The show proceeds from here, and we see many consequences of faith and lack of faith, retribution, good versus evil, and so forth.

Extremely well done, though admittedly more a potboiler than a great parable. Still, Pauline Starke shows what a great actress she was. Torrence as the evil captain shows his chops as he did in every film he ever made. Lars Hanson does a very creditable job as the young sailor/seminary student/preacher. It is often said he rather over acts in this film, and though their are definite flashes of over-melodramatic moments on his part, he nevertheless carries off the part remarkably well. Those particular moments are moments of temporary madness, and they probably aren't far off the genuine mark.

Superb direction by John S. Robertson, topping his superb direction in the silent classic "Dr. Jekell and Mr. Hyde" (1920), starring John Barrymore. Photography by William Daniels is equally good. Recommended highly. This is the Warner Archive release on DVD, and though it has grainy moments and several artifacts at different moments, is still very watchable and enjoyable. Philip Carli's accompanying music is quite apt and most enjoyable.

I recently watched "The Viking" (1928) and was especially impressed by Pauline Starke's performance. She seems to have had a large reservoir of talent; most of her films, beginning with 1916's "Intolerance", were silent, and many are lost. Too bad, because she seems to have had the acting talent to rank her with the best of them who are recalled today from the silent era.

"Captain Salvation" could have been a segment of "Intolerance." In 1840, faced with blind discrimination, unfounded gossip and strict religious judgment, Anson Campbell, a seminary student, retreats to the sea. There, through a series of unfortunate events, he is reborn to his faith, 'baptized' by the fallen woman who has enlightened him.

Most performances are standard, but Pauline Starke's work is excellent. George Fawcett's character, Zeke, provides some of the story transitions by being around when the transitions occur. It is a critical function in silent movies too often provided by title cards alone(in talkies, by a narrator or other dialog). Generally, this picture is very smoothly directed by John Robertson.

Cinematography by William Daniels helps this picture shine. The new orchestral score by Philip Carli (TCM induced, I think)is great.