Tonight's Movie: The Johnstown Flood (1926) at Cinecon
Everything I saw at the Cinecon Pop-Up Day earlier this month was worthwhile, but I especially enjoyed THE JOHNSTOWN FLOOD (1926).It was a 66-minute silent film which deftly melded drama with disaster, including impressive special effects by Jack Smith.
The restored print, with beautiful color tints, had live accompaniment by Jon Mirsalis, making for an outstanding viewing experience.
The movie teamed favorite George O'Brien with Janet Gaynor, a year ahead of their all-time classic SUNRISE (1927). The movie also starred charming Florence Gilbert.
O'Brien plays Tom O'Day, an engineer at a logging camp in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
While Tom loves Gloria, Anna (Gaynor), daughter of a logging camp employee (Paul Panzer), pines for Tom from afar.
THE JOHNSTOWN FLOOD was a well-constructed, well-performed film which I liked a great deal.
I've seen O'Brien and Gaynor in a significant number of films but am not sure I'd previously seen Gilbert in anything. I liked her very much and was interested to learn she was once married to TARZAN author Edgar Rice Burroughs.
I had been a bit nervous that the flood sequence would be disturbing, but while it's certainly very dramatic, I didn't find it difficult to watch. I was also fascinated by the unusual use of huge capital letters on the narrative cards to convey urgency: "THE DAM! RUN!"
Look for a very young Carole Lombard as one of Gloria's friends. Clark Gable and Gary Cooper are said to have had bit parts, but I didn't spot them.
THE JOHNSTOWN FLOOD was directed by Irving Cummings from a story by Edfrid A. Bingham and Robert Lord. It was filmed by George Schneiderman. The film utilized Northern California locations including Soquel, Santa Cruz, Groveland, and Yosemite.
O'Brien plays Tom O'Day, an engineer at a logging camp in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
Tom warns the logging camp's owner, John Hamilton (Anders Randolf), that the dam is likely to flood once the rains come. This causes conflict with his employer, which is especially awkward as Tom loves Hamilton's niece and ward, Gloria (Gilbert).
On Tom and Gloria's wedding day, a sudden cloudburst signals the start of unprecedented disaster...
THE JOHNSTOWN FLOOD was a well-constructed, well-performed film which I liked a great deal.
O'Brien and Gilbert are a lovely, likeable couple, while Gaynor milks the pathos as only she can, mooning over the man who is not destined to be hers.
I had been a bit nervous that the flood sequence would be disturbing, but while it's certainly very dramatic, I didn't find it difficult to watch. I was also fascinated by the unusual use of huge capital letters on the narrative cards to convey urgency: "THE DAM! RUN!"
THE JOHNSTOWN FLOOD was directed by Irving Cummings from a story by Edfrid A. Bingham and Robert Lord. It was filmed by George Schneiderman. The film utilized Northern California locations including Soquel, Santa Cruz, Groveland, and Yosemite.
posted by Laura @ 4:00 PM
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