Old Ironsides | 1926 | Adventure, Historical, War

Title: Old Ironsides | 1926 | Adventure, Historical, War Director: James Cruze Studio: Famous Players–Lasky Corporation Starring: Charles Farrell, Esther Ralston, Wallace Beery, George Bancroft, Johnnie Walker Based on: Screen story by Laurence Stallings Release Date: December 6, 1926 Runtime: 111 Format: Silent, black-and-white; 35mm; 1.33:1; English intertitles; select sequences presented in Magnascope Country: United States Language: Silent Genres: Adventure, Historical, War, Drama --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Launch and departure 00:18:30 Signing aboard the Esther 00:40:00 Mediterranean passage 01:02:00 Capture by Barbary pirates 01:22:30 Decatur’s raid 01:45:00 Battle off Tripoli and homecoming --- Summary: At the close of the 18th century, Barbary piracy threatens American merchant shipping in the Mediterranean. A young Philadelphian, eager for the sea, falls in with a hard-bitten boatswain and signs onto the merchantman Esther, whose owner’s daughter is also aboard. Their voyage entangles them with corsairs and the U.S. Navy’s new frigate USS Constitution. Captured and facing enslavement, the Esther’s crew must survive until Lieutenant Stephen Decatur and the Navy mount a daring operation. The film interweaves fictional adventure with historical naval action, emphasizing courage, camaraderie, and the rise of American seapower. --- Background: Produced on a grand scale by Famous Players–Lasky and directed by James Cruze, Old Ironsides was filmed largely off Santa Catalina Island to capture full‑rigged ships at sea. Select battle and spectacle moments were presented with Paramount’s Magnascope large‑screen projection, enlarging the image for heightened impact during the New York opening on December 6, 1926. Contemporary reports cited the film as one of Paramount’s most expensive productions to date, and it was later reissued in a shorter eight‑reel version in 1928. --- Trivia: The production used large sailing vessels at sea; the Maine‑built clipper Llewellyn J. Morse was refitted to portray period warship action. The New York opening employed the Magnascope presentation, in which projectionists expanded the image during climactic sequences to create a proto‑widescreen effect. Uncredited appearances include Gary Cooper and Boris Karloff; Olympic swimmer Duke Kahanamoku appears as a pirate captain. Exterior maritime scenes were shot off Santa Catalina Island, California. Box office receipts from the New York premiere were donated to the USS Constitution restoration fund. At the time of release, trade coverage described the film as Paramount’s costliest production to date. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: December 6, 1926 Original Studio / Distributor: Famous Players–Lasky Corporation / Paramount Pictures Copyright Status: Public Domain Renewal: Unknown --- Hashtags: OldIronsides 1926 SilentFilm PublicDomain JamesCruze WallaceBeery EstherRalston CharlesFarrell USSConstitution BarbaryWars Source page: https: //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Old_Ironsides_(1926).webm Direct media URL: https: //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Old_Ironsides_%281926%29.webm