SILENT FILMS 1920s: THE SEA HAWK (1924)
CREDITS
Released: June 14, 1924
Production Company: Frank Lloyd Productions
Featured Cast: Milton Sills, Enid Bennett, Lloyd Hughes, Wallace Beery, Marc McDermott, Wallace MacDonald, Bert Woodruff, Claire Du Brey, Lionel Belmore, Christina Montt, Albert Prisco, Frank Currier, William Collier Jr., Medea Radzina, Fred DeSilva, Kathleen Key, Hector V. Sarno, Robert Bolder, Fred Spencer, S.E. Jennings, Henry A. Barrows, Carl D. Bruner, Edwards Davis, Andrew Johnston, Theodore Lorch, Louis Morrison, George O’Brien, Kate Price, George Regas, George Romain, Walter Wilkinson, Nancy Zann
Director: Frank Lloyd
Cinematographer: Norbert Brodine
Editor: Edward M. Roskam
Art Director: Stephen Goosson
Costume Designer: Walter J. Israel
Makeup: Ern Westmore
Ships Designed And Executed By: Fred Gabourie
Music, Lyrics: Lyrics
Researcher: William J. Reiter
Marine Technician (uncredited): P.H.L. Wilson
Writers: Rafael Sabatini, J.G. Hawks(adaptation),
Walter Anthony (titles)
STORY
A stirring tale of romance and adventure, this 1924 film tells the story of Oliver Tressilian, a British nobleman falsely accused of murder, who struggles valiantly to restore his name and honor.
The film stars Lloyd Hughes in the lead role, but The Sea Hawk is best known for its rousing sea battles, which were staged with such ferocious realism that movie-goers were left awed and hungry for more. To achieve such authenticity, full-scale wooden replicas of 16th-century warships were constructed and filmed doing battle off the coast of Catalina Island.
Over a thousand extras participated in the filming, and the effect was so spectacular that Warner Brothers spliced scenes from the silent film into its 1940 remake of the same title, starring Errol Flynn. Motion Picture magazine called The Sea Hawk the year`s “Best Picture,” and a New York Times critic described the film as “far and away the best sea story that`s yet been done…” (Antonia Guerrero, FLF)
TECH
Runtime 2 hr 3 min (123 min) (1994 restoration print)
Sound Mix Silent
Color Black and White
Aspect Ratio 1.33 : 1
Film Length 3,513 m (12 reels)
3,513 m (Spain)
Negative Format 35 mm
Cinematographic Process Spherical
Printed Film Format 35 mm
