Marine d'abord!

Lon Chaney is one of my top 3 actors ever, so naturally I watched this movie because of him. It's amazing how he managed to make gruff characters so likeable-- even under layers of makeup as the Hunchback of Notre Dame or the Phantom of the Opera. Here he's not buried under a few layers of makeup, but his character is no less memorable. William Haynes is quite good in his role as the goofy recruit that Chaney swears to make into a Marine. The movie can be quite funny, quite touching and often exciting, as well. Highly recommended.

In the only film that Lon Chaney ever made without makeup of any sort, he and William Haines laid the ground work for many a service comedy in the sound era. Had this been done at Warner Brothers a few years later, the parts that Chaney and Haines have would have been played by Pat O'Brien and James Cagney.

Tell It To The Marines finds William Haines as a fresh young recruit enlisting in the Marines on almost a whim in San Diego. Once they've got his signature on the dotted line, Haines comes under the tender charge of sergeant Lon Chaney. The two go through training, sea duty, and rescuing some missionaries while posted in Shanghai.

They've also interest in the same girl, Navy nurse Eleanor Boardman and if you've seen any of the Cagney-O'Brien films you know who she's going to wind up with. Haines also dallies a bit with South Sea native girl Carmel Myers and his attentions start a small war on that said island.

A few years away from being cast as Chinese detective Charlie Chan, Warner Oland plays a lean and mean Chinese bandit chief, threatening the lives of all and virtue of the females at a Chinese mission. Americans were very sensitive on that subject, giving money at collection time at church services for Chinese missions. Back then it seemed like every church in America was sponsoring a missionary in China.

Though it's not a genre that the silent screen was especially known for, Tell It To The Marines is a rollicking good service comedy and a nice change of pace for the Man of a Thousand Faces to be seen as his own true self.

Chaney gives a recruiting poster performance of a rough,tough,Marine with a tender heart[thats well hidden],with Haines giving an equally good performance as the recruit.A mixture of humor and excitement are well blended to make this a very entertaining movie.

... that odd couple being Lon Chaney and William Haines.

Haines plays "Skeet" Burns, a young guy whose plan was just to hitch a free train ride to San Diego with a voucher from the Marines since they think he is going to join up there, when he really plans to just go to Tijuana for the races. He has no intention of becoming a marine. But he does come back from Tijuana, looks a bit envious of the comradery he sees on the Marine base, and does indeed join up.

From that point he's at odds with marine lifer sergeant O'Hara (Lon Chaney), in one of his few MGM roles where he is not monster or blackguard of the week. Burns has a problem with rules, as do all William Haines characters, and worse, he falls for Navy nurse Norma Dale (Eleanor Boardman) who happens to be the woman of O'Hara's dreams. Worse, O'Hara is the kind of guy Norma thinks she should love, but Burns gets under her skin in spite of his abrasive foolhardy ways.

This film is charming and entertaining with a rousing battle for a finale, but it does have its faults and plot holes. It does realistically portray the rivalry between the navy and the marines, right down to nurse Dale being insulted when Burns innocently asks her if she is a Marine nurse. She harshly barks back that she is a navy nurse! The film avoids getting claustrophobic by having the marines deploy overseas for an extended period, where Burns both gets in hot water and proves himself.

Chaney's commanding presence and ability to convey deep emotions shine through his portrayal of the hardened but compassionate Sergeant O'Hara. His performance is a testament to his status as one of the greatest actors of the silent film era. Lon Chaney was named an honorary marine for his performance, and his funeral was officiated by a marine chaplain. I'd definitely recommend this one. It doesn't make the mistake of so many MGM films and abruptly make an out of character right turn at the end just so there can be a happy ending.

A tough-as-shoe-leather sergeant patiently molds a rambunctious, rowdy youth into a sturdy Marine.

Available again after decades of obscurity, TELL IT TO THE MARINES is a wonderful, rousing paean to America's famous fighting force. Produced with the full cooperation of the Corps, it surges with heartfelt emotion & genuine excitement. It is the kind of film which should be shown to skeptics who doubt the power of silent cinema to satisfy a modern audience.

Lon Chaney is beyond praise as the hard-boiled Sergeant O'Hara, who loves the Corps and all that is stands for, but still has a tender heart and a good soul hidden beneath his rough exterior. This was Chaney's favorite role and he plays it without any of the extravagant make-up for which he was so famous. A superb character actor, Chaney became the parts he played. Completely believable, he fascinates the viewer into forgetting that this is an actor they are watching. His early death robbed him from rightfully enjoying the accolades & acclaim which other actors, like Chaplin, reaped in old age.

TELL IT TO THE MARINES provided the celebrity-making role for young William Haines and in it he practically revels in the silly billy antics that would dominate the rest of his movie career. In 1930, only 4 years after the release of this film, Chaney would be dead at the age of 47 and Haines would be the industry's top box office male. Things move fast in Hollywood.

Eleanor Boardman is perfect as the crisp Navy nurse who harbors tender feelings for both men. Carmel Myers is the exotic, albeit flea ridden, native girl who tempts Haines. Warner Oland has a small, flashy role as a despicable Chinese bandit. Movie mavens will recognize Willie Fung unbilled as a servant translating for Oland.

And what was the Marines' reaction to this film? They loved it, and especially Chaney's performance in it and he became the first actor to be awarded an honorary membership in the Corps.

The film's shipboard sequences were filmed on the mighty USS California, later to be sunk in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Where was Lon Chaney when they needed him?

TELL IT TO THE MARINES has been restored to pristine condition & given a rousing new score by Robert Israel.