Moran of the Lady Letty (1922)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Somewhat entertaining silent melodrama from director George Melford who went on to do the Spanish version of Dracula. A rich playboy (Rudolph Valentino) is liquored up and kidnapped onto a rough shipping boat with a no nonsense captain (Walter Long). The two feued at first but they quickly become friends until they rescue a woman (Dorothy Dalton) at sea and the captain has rather mean plans including rape. This was my first film with Valentino and after hearing so much about his legendary looks, I must say I didn't get much of a romantic feel so at first I'm a little puzzled over his reputation as a ladies man. Perhaps he just didn't have any chemistry with the leading lady who really wasn't all that interesting here. The film runs a short 71-minutes and includes a wonderful, action filled fight but outside of this everything is rather bland. The film is certainly watchable and entertaining but nothing much comes out of it. Long is certainly the scene stealing and you might remember him from some later day Laurel and Hardy films as well as playing the rapist, in blackface, in The Birth of a Nation. On another note, it's quite clear that several scenes here influenced the much better Captains Courageous.
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Somewhat entertaining silent melodrama from director George Melford who went on to do the Spanish version of Dracula. A rich playboy (Rudolph Valentino) is liquored up and kidnapped onto a rough shipping boat with a no nonsense captain (Walter Long). The two feued at first but they quickly become friends until they rescue a woman (Dorothy Dalton) at sea and the captain has rather mean plans including rape. This was my first film with Valentino and after hearing so much about his legendary looks, I must say I didn't get much of a romantic feel so at first I'm a little puzzled over his reputation as a ladies man. Perhaps he just didn't have any chemistry with the leading lady who really wasn't all that interesting here. The film runs a short 71-minutes and includes a wonderful, action filled fight but outside of this everything is rather bland. The film is certainly watchable and entertaining but nothing much comes out of it. Long is certainly the scene stealing and you might remember him from some later day Laurel and Hardy films as well as playing the rapist, in blackface, in The Birth of a Nation. On another note, it's quite clear that several scenes here influenced the much better Captains Courageous.