Old Ironsides (film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Old Ironsides |
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Film poster
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| Directed by | James Cruze |
| Written by | Dorothy Arzner Harry Carr Walter Woods (scenario) Rupert Hughes (intertitles) |
| Starring | Charles Farrell Esther Ralston Wallace Beery George Bancroft |
| Music by | Hugo Riesenfeld J. S. Zamecnik |
| Cinematography | Alfred Gilks |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | December 6, 1926 |
| Running time | 111 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
| Money made | $1.1 million (U.S. and Canada rentals) |
Old Ironsides is a 1926 American silent movie. It tells a historical story about war and adventure at sea. The film was directed by James Cruze. It stars actors like Charles Farrell, Esther Ralston, Wallace Beery, and George Bancroft. Paramount Pictures made and released this exciting movie.
Contents
The Story of Old Ironsides
This movie takes place in the early 1800s. The USS Constitution is a famous American warship. It was built to fight pirates in the Mediterranean Sea. These pirates were attacking merchant ships.
The story follows a young man named "The Commodore." He really wants to go to sea. He becomes friends with the bos'n (a ship's officer) of a merchant ship called Esther. The young man joins the crew of the Esther.
When the Esther reaches the Mediterranean, it also gets caught up in the fight. Both the Esther and the USS Constitution battle against the pirates. It's a thrilling adventure on the high seas!
Meet the Cast
Here are some of the main actors and the characters they played in Old Ironsides:
- Charles Farrell as "The Commodore"
- Esther Ralston as Esther
- Wallace Beery as Bos'n
- George Bancroft as Gunner
- Charles Hill Mailes as Captain Preble
- Johnnie Walker as Lieutenant Stephen Decatur
- Eddie Fetherston as Lieutenant Somers
- George Godfrey as The Cook
- William Conklin as Esther's Father
- Nick De Ruiz as The Bashaw
- Effie Ellsler as Esther's Mother
- Frank Jonasson as Pirate Captain
- Duke Kahanamoku as Pirate Captain
- Boris Karloff as A Saracen Guard
- Fred Kohler as Second Mate
Even famous actor Gary Cooper appeared in the film as an extra!
How the Movie Was Made
The director, James Cruze, used a special filming technique. It was called "Magnascope." This process made the movie look even bigger and more dramatic. During important scenes, the screen would suddenly get wider. This made the action feel more exciting for the audience. People who saw the movie when it first came out were amazed. They even cheered when Magnascope was used!
This movie was a huge production. It featured big battle scenes with old sailing ships and pirates. Actor Wallace Beery, who played the Bos'n, later played another famous pirate character. He was Long John Silver in the movie Treasure Island.
The money earned from the movie's first showing went to a good cause. It helped fund the restoration of the real USS Constitution. This ship is still around today!
Making the Ships Look Real
To make the movie look real, they used actual ships.
- A ship called Llewellyn J. Morse was changed to look like the USS Constitution.
- Another real ship from 1886, the S. N. Castle, was actually burned and sunk for the film. This happened off Catalina Island.
- In one scene, you can see a tattoo on George Bancroft's arm. It shows his character's name is also "G. Bancroft."
Where to Find the Movie Today
In 1987, Paramount Studios released Old Ironsides on VHS tape.
Later, in December 2008, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City showed a special version of the film. They had a restored 35mm print. This means they carefully fixed and cleaned the old film so people could enjoy it again.
See also
- List of American films of 1926
- Boris Karloff filmography
