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THE JOHNSTOWN FLOOD is a good silent film with some spectacular flood scenes. The plot has George O'Brien as a young engineer working for a lumber company owned by snarky Anders Randolf. He has a big new lumber contract to fulfill and is going full steam to do so. Although he's warned that the dam (which he owns) is structurally unsound, his lead engineer (Paul Nicholson) tells him it has been repaired. That's a lie, but Randolf is willing to believe it because the dam regulates the river which ensures the logs go downstream. Into this fray come Florence Gilbert, O'Brien's fiancee Gloria (and Randolf's niece). There's also Janet Gaynor as the young Anna, daughter of a logging foreman (Paul Panzer). She loves O'Brien, but he only has eyes for Gloria. Others in the cast include Max Davidson as the local department store owner. His role is meant to be comic relief, but the Jewish stereotype gets to be a bit much. There's also Kay Deslys in a dance number during a local show. Among the bit players are Carole Lombard, Clark Gable, and Gary Cooper! Rumor has it that Florence Lawrence is also recognizable.

Special effects aside, the real star here is Miss Gaynor. I had thought she had a small role early in her career, but she's actually the female co-lead and she's excellent. While Gilbert plays it straight as the lovely niece who eventually lands O'Brien, Gaynor's role allows her to do some comedy as the teenager and she gets the big scene when she saves the day (sort of) by galloping through the town on a horse, warning people the dam is about to blow.

Directed by Irving Cummings and photographed by George Schneiderman, this was one of the big hits of 1926 and helped make Gaynor a major star at the Fox Studio.

It's Johnstown, a lumbering town where the mighty dam holds back the water and makes it available for transporting the felled trees for Paul Nicholson's mighty enterprise. But engineer George O'Brien warns him that the dam is going to fall with the next heavy rainfall. Nicholson scoffs, so O'Brien quits and with a group of like-minded citizens, takes over the dam.

That might be enough in a B movie, but director Irving Cummings and writers Edfrod Bingham and Robert Lord put a bunch of subplots in. O'Brien is mighty fond of Janet Gaynor -- in her first major role -- and she is desperately in love with him. Meanwhile, Nicholson's niece, Florence Gilbert, and O'Brien are falling in love. Add in Paul Panzer as Miss Gaynor's father, Max Davidson as a shopkeeper, and Gary Cooper, Kay Deslys, Clark Gable, Florence Lawrence, and Carole Lombard as uncredited extras, as well as great set design and an amazingly photographed flood to stop every plotline, and you've got among the goldurnestest spectacles of the silent era. Once again, Irving Cummings demonstrates that he can handle any sort of picture with the best of them.

The Johnstown flood was a horrible and preventable tragedy where over 2200 people were killed. How was it preventable? Well, the dam above the town was in disrepair and the rich folks who owned it and used it as a fishing and hunting reserve simply didn't spend the money needed to fix it...even when they were warned it might fail. Oddly, the film doesn't talk about this at all...and makes it seem less the fault of the plutocrats (who, incidentally, were neither punished nor found libel for the tragedy in real life).

The film has a love story between a rich girl (Janet Gaynor) and a common guy (George O'Brien). Because they were mismatched, a lot of the film revolves around that, though to me it was pretty forgettable. What is NOT forgettable is the final portion when the dam bursts. It has some of the most harrowing and realistic footage from the silent era and is most impressive even today.

What is not impressive is not the film's fault. While I read that a restored version was recently released, I saw the one on YouTube which was taken from a 16mm print...which is so faded that in spots I was frustrated, as the film has several soon to be mega-stars in it and it was hard to identify them. Clark Gable (in a saloon scene), Gary Cooper (among the survivors) and Carole Lombard (one of the leading lady's friends who are celebrating her upcoming nuptials with her).

Overall, while the story isn't entirely accurate, it's a truly spectacular film that shouldn't be missed.

I found out about this movie from Corridor crew, discussing it's VFX, and i was hooked. But i didn't expect the movie to be that good. I havent been impressed by a movie (old or new) probably since i saw Wings a year ago.

The saddest part is - it's real tragedy Maybe thats why they put so much efford in making the movie. It felt like passion movie instead of money-grab as so many.

The VFX are definitely one of the best ive seen in pre40s movie. Made with a lot of passion to get them right. Most of the VFX shots look amazing even in 2024 on 4K screen, only few are " not so good" .

Cinematography is good, and even impressive near the end when the pacing fastens so much.

Acting to my pleasant surprise was great. Usually old movies are kinda lacking in acting, as it's product of their time but rarely believable. Yet here... Quite good drama acting, without too much of that typical for the time jiggery energetic limb moving. Facial acting was solid, esp the father's one.

Music.. oh man, whoever made the music deserved the payment.

The remaster they made in 2023 (which i watched) is great. Makes you wish they do more movies like that.

Overall, highly recommended movie.

This is the last of Gable silent films. He split up with his wife and mentor, Josephine Dillon, because the extra work had dried up. It appeared as though Hollywood had no room for him. He went back to the theatre for five years and returned to Los Angeles to try out for his next film in 1931.