NOAH'S ARK (FILM)

:''For the Biblical story, see Noah's Ark.''
'''Noah’s Ark''' is a 1929 American early romantic Melodrama disaster film directed by Michael Curtiz and written by Darryl F. Zanuck. The film starred George O’Brien and Dolores Costello. Released by Warner Brothers studio, the film was important in that it was representative of the transition from silent movies to “talkiesâ€, although it was essentially a kind of film known as a part-talkie, utilizing new (at that time) Vitaphone sound-on-disc technology.
Two thirds of the film takes place during World War I, with the rest comprising a flashback to the time of the Biblical Noah.

Contents
Synopsis
Cast
Uncredited cast
Release & re-release
Preservation
Trivia
See also
External links

Synopsis


On the eve of “The Great War†(WWI), American Travis (George O’Brien) and German Marie (Dolores Costello) meet on the Orient Express, which wrecks when a bridge washes out. Travis, and his friend Al, rescue Marie, and Travis falls in love with her. When the war breaks out, Al enlists and Travis follows him shortly, after the two lovers have married. When a Russian military officer (Noah Beery) accuses Marie of being a German spy, she is sentenced to face a firing squad, but Travis, who is part of the squad rescues her in the nick of time. When the French town they are hiding in is bombed by the Germans, the couple and others are trapped below a demolished building. Here, a minister makes a lengthy comparison of the war to the ancient Biblical account of the time of Noah and the Flood.

Cast



Dolores Costello as Marie/Miriam

George O'Brien as Travis/Japheth

Noah Beery as Nickoloff/King Nephiliu

Louise Fazenda as Hilda/Tavern Maid

Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams as Al/Ham (billed as Gwynn Williams)

Paul McAllister as Minister/Noah

Myrna Loy as Dancer/Slave Girl

Anders Randolf as The German/Leader of Soldiers

Armand Kaliz as The Frenchman/Leader of the King's Guard

William V. Mong as Innkeeper/Guard

Malcolm Waite as The Blakan/Shem

Nigel De Brulier as Soldier/High Priest

Noble Johnson as Broker

Otto Hoffman as Trader

Uncredited cast



Joe Bonomo as Aide to Leader of Soldiers

Andy Devine as Flood Extra

Alphonse Martell as French Policeman

Torben Meyer as Man on Train

Nina Quartero as French Girl

Cliff Saum as Soldier in Trench

John Wayne as Flood Extra

Release & re-release


Movie poster for the film.

The film premiered in Hollywood in late 1928, and was scheduled to be released originally as a silent film in 1929. Warner Bros. withdrew the film and added several scenes of dialogue and a soundtrack, then re-released it later the same year, due largely to the overwhelming success of ''the Jazz Singer''.
The film was re-released in 1957 (or at least 75 minutes of it), with only the silent portions featuring the story of the Ark utilized. The dialogue and soundtrack portions envolving the modern storyline were cut out.

Preservation


The original release of 135 minutes is no longer extant. This film has been partially restored to the length of 100 minutes by the UCLA Film and Television Archive in conjunction with the project . It was released in laserdisc format in October, 1993.

Trivia



John Wayne and Andy Devine appeared among the hundreds of extras in the flood scene. Wayne also worked in the prop department for the film.

★ Dolores Costello caught a severe case of pneumonia during the filming of the flood scene.

★ During the filming of the climactic flood scene, the great volume of water used was so overwhelming that three extras drowned, one was so badly injured that his leg needed to be amputated, and a number suffered broken limbs and other serious injuries. [1]

See also



John Wayne filmography (1926-1940)

External links





''The Old Testament on Film'' at Codex@BiblicalStudies.com

Dolores Costello's MySpace.com webpage

''The Transition from Silent to Sound'' at The American Widescreen Museum website

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