La ruta de Singapore

What interested me most into seeing 'Across to Singapore' was seeing Joan Crawford in one of her earliest films. The story did not sound great and reviews are very, very mixed here, but Crawford was a fine actress and it was interesting to see how she was like very early on in her career when she was still learning her craft and not completely found her style. That was true for a lot of actors and actresses though back then and it's always been apparent come to think of it.

'Across to Singapore' intrigues somewhat and it is watchable, with some things done well. It is a pretty strange film though and is more a curio if anything, primarily to be seen if a fan of Crawford and want to see everything she did. Crawford did do much better than 'Across to Singapore' since. Both in regard to performances and overall film quality, for me this was one of not many cases of her being outshone and that is not something said often.

Some of the sets look quite nice, the storm scenes look impressive, and there is the odd exciting set piece such as the climax. Some of the first half is entertaining, partly because of Ramon Novarro's comic timing.

Novarro does very well here, his character is a reckless one in terms of attitude but he portrays him endearingly and not obnoxiously. Ernest Torrence does curmudgeonly with gusto and Anna May Wong is perfectly alluring.

Crawford however is less convincing. Her character is not a particularly meaty one, Crawford was at her best when she had a character that she could sink her teeth into (literally too), and required a lot more subtlety than seen in her quite histrionic interpretation. The direction doesn't really engage and tends to be merely workmanlike and not much more. 'Across to Singapore' started off well, but by the halfway point all the way through to the end it became generally increasingly silly and muddled. One knows even from reading the quite cliched synopsis that it would be pretty predictable and nothing new is done here, this is standard stuff and silly and unfocused standard stuff at that.

The pace lacks energy and in the second half when the film runs out of ideas pretty much it creaks quite badly. The only chemistry to convince is between Novarro and Torrence, bland everywhere else. Some nice sets aside, the production values look pretty primitive. Evident in some disorganised editing and nothing really stands out in the photography either.

Good from curiosity standpoint but not really recommended. 5/10

Buoyed by the strength of its cast, for the first 55 minutes or so this is a pretty decent silent film, featuring two brothers (Ramon Novarro and Ernest Torrence) in a love triangle with a young woman (Joan Crawford). Novarro is magnetic and was at the height of his stardom, Crawford a pretty young thing just about to hit it big (albeit in very different types of roles), and Torrance perfectly cast as the hulking seaman. The brothers sail off to Singapore and face misadventures along the way, including a storm while rounding Cape Horn, the special effects for which are well done for the era.

While I liked the performances from the principals, I confess what brought me to the film was Anna May Wong, who briefly appears (uncredited) as a Singaporean prostitute. The role is unfortunate but typical of those she was relegated to by Hollywood and I wish she had been getting the parts she deserved, but the sassy little flick of her hair while strutting away from a guy hitting on her at roughly 45:15 is one of my favorite moments in her filmography. In the biography he wrote of Wong, Graham Russell Gao Hodges says that preserved stills from the original footage reveal that passionate scenes between Wong and Novarro wound up on the cutting room floor, which is a damn shame (and somewhat surprising, since what we see has her ardor directed at Torrence's character ... it seems a machete was taken to the action out in Singapore, which may explain the film's narrative issues). Increasingly upset at these types of parts and unable to get a romantic type leading role because of the taboo against miscegenation, Wong left America the same year to make films in Europe for a few years.

Unfortunately, the film really fades in its final half hour, starting with an unexpected revelation when a repeat visit is made out to Singapore. Without spoiling it, I will just say it's an unfair turn of events because it defies what we've seen and been told before, and the characters then continue on without surprise or explanation. The film starts lagging and gets highly melodramatic in a fight sequence that's tiresome by the time we get around to it. It's a little unfortunate the script and storytelling didn't match the star power here, but it's worth taking a look.

Across To Singapore is the second of three films that MGM did from the novel All The Brothers Were Valiant. As I did not think all that much of the sound version that Robert Taylor and Stewart Granger did in the 50s, so to I feel this one was up to snuff. I still cannot understand why a sea captain takes his bride on a voyage, the inevitable has to happen people being human.

The protagonist brothers Shore in this version are Ramon Novarro as the youngest and good looking one and the oldest is Ernest Torrence. There are two middle brothers here and they favor more Torrence than Novarro.

The girl the brothers are rivals over is played by Joan Crawford and for flinty New England Yankee types these two brothers get all hot and bothered over Crawford. All the basic plot elements from the novel are there with the rivalry and mutiny at sea. Still this one deviates quite a bit from the story in the first and third versions. The first silent film had Lon Chaney and Billie Dove starring and it's considered lost.

The overall story concept I'm still not crazy about, but the players do fine.

A rare chance to watch Joan Crawford just before her breakthrough in silent pictures the same year, when she starred in `Our Dancing Daughters' as the epitome of the '20s flapper. In this movie she plays the lady-in-between (and the cause of sibling rivalry) seamen brothers Ramon Novarro (Joel Shore) and Ernest Torrence (Captain Mark Shore).

Crawford does a fine job playing the ingénue, and boy! does she look different from the trademark image she adopted from the 1930s onwards: in this picture her features look much softer, she has `smaller' lips, etc. (sort of the '20s look).

But, I must have to note that this is Novarro's film all the way, playing devil-may-care Joel Shore, the youngest of four seaman brothers, who becomes a full-fledged, grown-up man, the hard way.

Novarro's flair for comedy, playing and foolin' around, making practical jokes and having lots of fun, is at full display in the first half of the picture (these scenes are heartfelt and very believable), before he has to confront life and his much admired eldest brother (Torrence), because of their love for the same woman. A very entertaining film, you almost forget it's silent.

The same story had been filmed before by Metro pictures in 1923, using the original story's title "All the Brothers were Valiant", starring Malcolm McGregor, Lon Chaney and Billie Dove. Then again, it was remade by MGM in 1953 as "All the brothers were valiant" with Robert Taylor, Stewart Granger and Ann Blyth.

Ramon Novarro (as Joel) is the youngest of the seafaring Shore family. While older brother Ernest Torrence (as Mark) is off on a long voyage, Mr. Novarro falls for fetching Joan Crawford (as Pricilla). Upon returning, Mr. Torrence is revealed to have also fallen for the bewitching Ms. Crawford - and, eventually, the brothers become rivals. Crawford prefers Novarro, but her father "betrothes" her to Torrence. Before their wedded bliss begins, however, the Shore brothers must make a trip to Singapore; it's Novarro's first voyage with older brothers, after proving himself in a barroom brawl. While sailing "Across to Singapore", a fierce storm blasts the Shore brothers' "Nathan Ross" ship - with tragic results…

Actually, this is a version of "All the Brothers Were Valiant". Perhaps the title was changed because one brother clearly dominates (Novarro), and only one other figures prominently (Torrence). Although there are four Shore brothers, you won't see much of the others, valiant or otherwise. It's odd MGM re-made this story in 1928; it was seen relatively recently, in 1923, with Malcolm McGregor, Lon Chaney, and Billie Dove as Joel, Mark, and Pricilla. AND, there was no sound version until 1953, with Robert Taylor, Stewart Granger, and Ann Blyth in the principal roles.

Novarro performs very well, especially enjoy his scene with Crawford, when she boards the ship to bid farewell, before his maiden voyage. It's also one of Crawford's best scenes, and the lower "Nathan Ross" set is beautifully detailed. Anna May Wong also performs very well; though uncredited, she is the best supporting player. Note Ms. May Wong's excellent introduction (during the first trip to Singapore) - she relates her dissatisfaction with her man, and her desire for Mark, with a few simple gestures. May Wong is superb, and should have been included in the film's credits. James Mason (not the later actor) is fine as the villain.

There are some problems with the story. The whole "betrothed" issue is confusing to me, and may be to others. I also don't understand why an experienced sailor like Mark Shore immediately goes below and gets drunk; perhaps, he saw little brother with Crawford earlier on? I wondered how Mark Shore could order a certain character killed, and, seconds later reverse said order. Though a fine actor, I had some trouble accepting Torrence in this role - I expected him to be the villain, due to his other indelible portrayals.

A big MGM production, with a lot of excitement, and a fine cast. The voyages of the "Nathan Ross" are particularly exciting… great storm, and great ending. This is a film that was "saved" in the nick of time, however, and some of the film is sadly deteriorated; happily, it is still enjoyable.

******** Across to Singapore (1928) William Nigh ~ Ramon Novarro, Joan Crawford, Ernest Torrence