Moby Dick (1930 film)
| Moby Dick | |
|---|---|
 theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Lloyd Bacon |
| Written by | Oliver H.P. Garrett (adaptation) |
| Screenplay by | J. Grubb Alexander (dialogue and screenplay) |
| Based on |
Moby-Dick (1851 novel) by Herman Melville |
| Starring | John Barrymore |
| Music by |
William Axt David Mendoza |
| Cinematography | Robert Kurrle |
| Edited by | Desmond O'Brien |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Moby Dick is a 1930 American Pre-Code film from Warner Bros., directed by Lloyd Bacon, and starring John Barrymore and Joan Bennett. The film is a sound remake of the 1926 silent movie, The Sea Beast, which also starred Barrymore.
Plot
The film tells of a sea captain's maniacal quest for revenge on a great white whale who has bitten off his leg. Ahab meets and falls in love with the daughter of the local minister, after disembarking in New Bedford. She falls in love with him and is heartbroken when he leaves on another voyage. During his next voyage, Ahab loses his leg to a large white whale. When he returns to New Bedford, he mistakenly believes that the woman he loves no longer wants to see him due to his disfigurement. He vows revenge against the whale, and to kill it or be killed in the process, and returns to sea.
Differences from novel
The film, just as The Sea Beast (the previous 1926 silent version) was, is an extremely free adaptation of the novel Moby-Dick by Herman Melville. It implements a prequel and sequel element to the story that did not exist in Melville's novel. As an example of the changes found in the film, Captain Ahab is portrayed as a handsome romantic hero with a pretty girlfriend, but his evil brother manipulates the situation so that she will reject him. He also has both of his legs until he embarks on the voyage in which Moby Dick bites off one of them and he becomes consumed with revenge and embarks on the odyssey to kill the whale that maimed him. Ultimately, Ahab survives the ordeal, kills his stowaway brother (as well as Moby Dick), and returns home to the woman who loves him.
Cast
- John Barrymore as Captain Ahab Ceely
- Joan Bennett as Faith Mapple
- Lloyd Hughes as Derek Ceely
- Noble Johnson as Queequeg
- Nigel De Brulier as Elijah
- Walter Long as Mr Stubbs
- May Boley as Whale Oil Rosie
- Tom O'Brien as Starbuck
- John Ince as Reverend Mapple
Foreign language versions
One foreign language version of the 1930 film of Moby Dick was produced. The German version was titled Dämon des Meeres and was directed by Michael Curtiz.
Preservation status
The film survives intact and has been broadcast on television[1] and cable but has yet to see a Warner Archive DVD-on-demand availability.
References
External links
- Moby Dick at the TCM Movie Database
- Moby Dick at the Internet Movie Database
- Moby Dick at AllMovie
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