Encantos à Beira-Mar

Alone and friendless, drifter Richard Barthelmess (as "Bilge" Smith) visits a New York aquarium, and observes the sea creatures. Seeking employment and pals, Mr. Barthelmess decides to join the Navy. Meanwhile, in coastal Wautucket, dressmaker Dorothy Mackaill (as Connie Martin) longs for male companionship. "Shore Leave" brings sailor Barthelmess to Ms. Mackaill's attention; and, she invites him over for a home-cooked meal. Barthelmess steals a brief kiss, and sets sail - but, he promises to return for more. Mackaill is smitten with her sailor date, and waits… for years… until Barthelmess returns…

A charming picture, but, today, it requires some suspension of disbelief. There are a couple of hints Barthelmess' character was likely a "randy" sailor, so why did he settle for that lackluster first kiss? And, the film explains the town of Wautucket was a fledgling seaport, but "spinster" Mackaill is lovely enough to have attracted some local attention. Later, Barthelmess rejects her because she's wealthy! ...but… the actors make it believable.

The film was much-admired in its day. Barthelmess' performance in "Shore Leave" was one of the "Motion Picture Magazine" best of the year 1925, alongside Lon Chaney, W.C. Fields, John Gilbert, and winner Emil Jannings (for "The Last Laugh"). Mackaill (a frequent co-star) is also very good. There is a sweet, natural quality to their acting (which certainly fits the storyline); witness her falling in love over supper, and his recognition of her, after two years of sailing.

John S. Robertson (director) and Roy Overbaugh (cinematographer) manage the New York locations and set pieces nicely. Debuting Ted McNamara (as "Battling" Smith) handles his comic sidekick role well; he probably would have been a character actor long into the talking picture era, but died of phenomena in 1928.

Barthelmess has named his "Shore Leave" characterization as a personal favorite - still, it was his last collaboration with director Robertson… who replaced Henry King… who replaced D.W. Griffith…

******** Shore Leave (9/6/25) John S. Robertson ~ Richard Barthelmess, Dorothy Mackaill, Ted McNamara

My father was a Marine guard stationed onboard the USS Arkansas on June 1st, 1925...I have 5 different photos that he took during the filming including a couple of Richard Barthelmess taken while the filming was going on...don't know if anyone would be interested in this but thought I would share this with you all...thanks

Chuck

This offbeat romance stars Richard Barthelmess as a tough sailor named Smith who happens to meet a mousy dressmaker (Dorothy Mackaill) while on shore leave. He's determined not to get "involved" and she pines away in a small New England seaport village.

The story skips around a lot, but it seems she owns a sailing ship that is aground on the mud in the Ganges River. She plots to get the ship sailing again with Barthelmess as the skipper. A perfect union. But he reacts badly and avoids all "rich women" even though, years later, she throws a party for all the Smiths in port. She has no idea what his first name is. He doesn't remember her at all. After a few fights he finally understands that she is not rich. So he bypasses re-enlisting, works his way back to her, and all problems are solved in time for the clinch.

SHORE LEAVE was a Broadway play that featured James Rennie and Frances Starr. This is a change-of-pace role for Barthelmess, since the character is not quite heroic. Mackaill, a former Ziegfeld girl, is probably too pretty to be pining away in a small village. Yet the stars are very effective together and keep the film interesting despite its cheap production values. The supporting cast has little to do.

Worth a look.

SHORE LEAVE fall in the gap between Barthlemess as the Tol'able teenager and him as the anguished middle aged lead in the Warners thirties dramas. It's odd to find him playing a thick, aggressive Cagney type

The film is a machine made romance, too artificial and implausible to involve more than curiosity. The handling is competent and the appealing Miss Mackaill is winning, if too self possessed, as the never been kissed dress maker. More sea faring material and less of painted backdrop Nantucket would have helped.