The earliest complete extant talkie of Mr. B’s is one that
was never originally meant to be: The Mysterious Island, based on Jules Verne.
It was filmed in two stuttering parts or times, 1926 with a slightly different
cast and different look, and 1929, when sound was added to it and
cast/character appearance had changed. In both, Lionel Barrymore plays a Jules
Verne benevolent scientist named Count Andre Dakkar on a “mysterious” and
isolated island near the mythical kingdom of “Hetvia”, inhabited by a variety
of people who work to help him explore the sea.
 |
| One of several posters. Rather cool, actually |
In 1926, Warner Oland was our bad guy, while in 1929, he had
been replaced by Montagu Love as Falon. Jacquelin Gadsdon (as Jane Daly)
appears in both filmings as Sonia Dakkar, the scientist’s sister. Lucien
Hubbard directed, though Maurice Tourneur also had a hand. Other cast includes
Lloyd Hughes, Harry Gribbon, and the delightfully named Snitz Edwards. The film
was ultimately released on October 5, 1929.
 |
| From the 1926 filming, with Jane Daly |
 |
| 1926 filming, LB, Jane Daly, Warner Oland. |
 |
| 1929 film poster |
 |
| With Montagu Love in the 1929 version |
 |
| With Lloyd Hughes in the 1929 version |
You can see the dramatic difference in costumes and appearance, especially for Mr. B, who seems really young in the 1929 filming, not so much in the 1926 one. There's some acting! :)
It’s a rough film, uneven in many places and sometimes over-talky
in the speech parts, but there is an excitement to the action and while the
undersea creatures are goofy, the interplay between the actors is pretty good.
 |
| Spanish-language magazine, bottom right on TMI |
 |
| From A Scena Muda, 1929--Daly, Hughes, and Mr. B in the diving suit |
 |
| Undersea critters! |
There is a particularly harrowing part where both Dakkar and
Sonia are tortured by Love’s henchmen, rather sadistically. It’s still painful
to watch.
 |
| 2 "unclean" images from the 1926 filming of Falon's men capturing the Dakkars |
 |
| Falon's men have captured Dakkar and want to know of his ship plans (1929 here and below) |
 |
| AND they've captured his sister, who knows where the plans are hidden |
 |
| Dakkar hears his sister's screams...she refuses to tell Falon anything |
 |
| ...and Dakkar is sent slightly insane by the trauma. |
Mr. B is not always over the top, though some of the talking
sections have him going on at LENGTH about his work to Love, who has to listen
bemusedly. Mr. B chronically musses his hair while he speaks, too. It is clear
that he did have a good voice for film, better here than in the audio I have
heard for Alias Jimmy Valentine. His voice is the standout one, and though he
seems more solid in the silent parts, his expressiveness is clear in sound and
of course, his physical acting and energy shows in the silent sections. He really can delineate vengeance with a look alone. He's furious when he is set free by the men from his submarine
It ends interestingly and, I think, well, after a lot of
action and some rather violent undersea scenes. The undersea critters are a bit
ludicrous as they appear, but the idea the explorers are being swarmed by these
things is a bit disturbing.
In the end...all is Jules Verne.
 |
| Dakkar has been mortally wounded. |
 |
| His men help him into his submarine |
 |
| He goes down with his ship, finally. |
I enjoyed this film, and it really was lost in time until recently, when it was rediscovered and eventually premiered at Pordenone. Worth a watch online, where one can youtube a version of it. Brilliant graphics were made for the advertising, hyping it to the skies, though unfortunately, as a film it's rather uneven. Some good acting from Daly and Mr. B, and all the crazed action one can ask for.
A good and interesting review is at And You Call Yourself A
Scientist!
Happy 13th of Lionel!
BONUS: Hair-mussing courtesy Mr. Lionel Barrymore, stealing scenes from poor Montagu Love!
🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻
And my own colorized still!
No comments:
Post a Comment