Captain Salvation

"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.

As excited as I was a couple of months ago to see this film on TCM's schedule--if for no other reason than that it isn't available anywhere and I love it when rare films get pulled out of the vaults--I was also prepared for it to be a snooze-inducer, since some of the contemporary reviews were lukewarm at best. I am so glad this didn't turn out to be the case! Although the TCM score by Mr. Carli was simply perfect (and a great score can make even a mediocre silent seem better than it is), this is a film so beautifully composed and structured that I think it would hold its own even without music. I really wasn't expecting much from director John Robinson, since his name hasn't come down as one of the seminal directors of the silent era, but he proved me wrong, too. From breathtaking ocean views to subtly-lit interiors and sets, this is a visually rich film (photography by the great William Daniels); the titles are also well done by John Colton (credited on-screen as the author of "Rain"--obviously the right man to recruit for a story of religious hypocrisy and a "scarlet" woman). Yes, Lars Hanson does overact the crucial dramatic scenes, but Pauline Starke does especially fine work, along with Marceline Day and Ernest Torrence as yet another sea-faring type. Overall, this is an enjoyable film--not quite as preachy as I expected, with some lighter moments as well.

In the Spring of 1840, tall, fair and handsome Lars Hanson (as Anson Campbell) returns from seminary studies, to his little New England town. A prayerful and seafaring man, Mr. Hanson is welcomed by the folks at home, especially virginal sweetheart Marceline Day (as Mary Phillips). The pair plan to become minister and wife, but drift apart when Hanson defends Boston prostitute Pauline Starke (as Bess Morgan) against the town's wrath. He is advised, "Get that trull out of here!" But, Hanson shocks puritanical villagers by taking in the shipwrecked woman, and nursing the "Waterfront Jezebel" back to health.

Ironically, Hanson's "Christian charity" threatens his ministry and engagement. Returning her ring, Ms. Day exclaims, the "scarlet woman is stealing your soul!" In a grand scene, Ms. Starke tells Day she should have stood by her man. Ostracized, Hanson and Starke join a ship supposedly headed for Rio. That the Captain of the "Panther" is frequently nasty Ernest Torrence should tell you smooth sailing is not in the offing. Helping Hanson find his faith is one of Starke's best roles, and she performs it beautifully. Director John Robertson, photographer William Daniels, and the crew make "Captain Salvation" exciting.

******* Captain Salvation (5/14/27) John S. Robertson ~ Lars Hanson, Pauline Starke, Marceline Day, Ernest Torrence

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.

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.