As excited as I was a couple of months ago to see this film on TCM's schedule--if for no other reason than that it isn't available anywhere and I love it when rare films get pulled out of the vaults--I was also prepared for it to be a snooze-inducer, since some of the contemporary reviews were lukewarm at best. I am so glad this didn't turn out to be the case! Although the TCM score by Mr. Carli was simply perfect (and a great score can make even a mediocre silent seem better than it is), this is a film so beautifully composed and structured that I think it would hold its own even without music. I really wasn't expecting much from director John Robinson, since his name hasn't come down as one of the seminal directors of the silent era, but he proved me wrong, too. From breathtaking ocean views to subtly-lit interiors and sets, this is a visually rich film (photography by the great William Daniels); the titles are also well done by John Colton (credited on-screen as the author of "Rain"--obviously the right man to recruit for a story of religious hypocrisy and a "scarlet" woman). Yes, Lars Hanson does overact the crucial dramatic scenes, but Pauline Starke does especially fine work, along with Marceline Day and Ernest Torrence as yet another sea-faring type. Overall, this is an enjoyable film--not quite as preachy as I expected, with some lighter moments as well.
Review of Captain Salvation
