The Johnstown Flood

1926
Passed
1h 6m

ÉVALUATION IMDb

MA NOTE

George O'Brien in The Johnstown Flood (1926)

Ajouter une intrigue dans votre langueFollows Tom O'Day, who is loved by two women: Anna Burger and Gloria Hamilton. He has no idea of Anna's love for him, and he becomes engaged to Gloria.Follows Tom O'Day, who is loved by two women: Anna Burger and Gloria Hamilton. He has no idea of Anna's love for him, and he becomes engaged to Gloria.Follows Tom O'Day, who is loved by two women: Anna Burger and Gloria Hamilton. He has no idea of Anna's love for him, and he becomes engaged to Gloria.

Director
- Irving Cummings
Writers
- Edfrid A. Bingham
- Robert Lord
Stars

Voir l’information sur la production à IMDbPro

ÉVALUATION IMDb

6,8/10

341

MA NOTE

Director
- Irving Cummings
Writers
- Edfrid A. Bingham
- Robert Lord
Stars

Voir l’information sur la production à IMDbPro

Photos6

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Anecdotes
Carole Lombard (uncredited) plays one of Gloria's four friends, who are all in three key scenes: one in which they are eavesdropping while Tom proposes marriage, another while Gloria is getting dressed for her wedding, and finally as bridesmaids at the wedding. Lombard is standing directly between and behind Tom and Gloria. Clark Gable (also uncredited) can be recognized as one of a group of men standing in front of a bar in a briefly glimpsed medium shot. (Gable and Lombard did not actually meet until several years later when they starred opposite each other in No Man of Her Own (1932).) Gary Cooper also appears in a small part - actually two small parts, as both a flood victim and a survivor.

Gaffes
The film has railroad tracks crossing right in front of the dam. The dam fails just as the train carrying the villain (in the form of the timber company owner and architect of this disastrous flood) crosses in front of it. Evidently, this was the director's effort to have the villain punished for his wicked deed of putting profit over lives. BUT there was no railroad crossing in front of the dam. And as there was no timber concern there was no evil company owner/villain to punish. YET there was a railroad running much of the valley through which the flood traveled to Johnstown. And this is where one of the greatest heroes of the disaster achieved notoriety. An engineer, John Hess, heard the rumbling of the approaching flood, threw his engine into reverse and raced backwards down the valley, ahead of the flood, blowing his whistle to warn people of the approaching disaster (this warning saved many people who were able to reach high ground and safety). Eventually, the flood waters caught up to the train and knocked off the tracks (and added it to the debris field at the head of the flood). Fortunately, this true hero did survive this ordeal. So, no train tracks in front of the dam, and no villain to punish. BUT a railroad down the valley in front of the flood, and a genuine hero to boot. One must ask why the director felt it necessary to choose a completely fictitious story with a villain, when he could have chosen a TRUE story of heroism.

Citations
John Hamilton, Lumber Camp Boss: Repaired that dam yet?

Autres versions
PROLOGUE TO 2023 RESTORED PRINT: "The restoration of The Johnstown Flood, a William Fox produced--Irving Cummings directed motion picture --- was made was only made possible because The George Eastman Museum had the foresight to both preserve the unique original 35mm nitrate print and then create preservation elements. The first five reels of the original tinted nitrate have been scanned by GEM in 4k, along with the final real of there 35 mm preservation duplicate negative. For the restoration, those data files have been digitally cleaned and repaired, short main and end titles with missing footage have been brought to the original length, with fades receiving attention as well. One missing inter-title has been re-established based upon the original screenplay, and minor nitrate deposition has been repaired. In a couple of instances where the decomp was severe, we made the decision to allow it to remain as it was for its educational benefit toward film preservation, restoration, and the need to support organizations like GEM. The Johnstown Flood was produced in 1926. it is a product of its time that tells a story that took place in 1889 --- twenty-four years after the end of the Civil War. The film may depict some racial and ethnic prejudices that were the unfortunate norm in America at that time. they were short-sighted and painful then, and can still be upsetting today. Those behind the preservation and restoration of this film are presenting the work as originally created." "To do otherwise would be akin to suggesting that these prejudices never existed."

Connexions
Edited into Flaming Frontiers (1938)

Commentaires des utilisateurs12

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Commentaire en vedette

Janet Gaynor Saves the Day

THE JOHNSTOWN FLOOD is a good silent film with some spectacular flood scenes. The plot has George O'Brien as a young engineer working for a lumber company owned by snarky Anders Randolf. He has a big new lumber contract to fulfill and is going full steam to do so. Although he's warned that the dam (which he owns) is structurally unsound, his lead engineer (Paul Nicholson) tells him it has been repaired. That's a lie, but Randolf is willing to believe it because the dam regulates the river which ensures the logs go downstream. Into this fray come Florence Gilbert, O'Brien's fiancee Gloria (and Randolf's niece). There's also Janet Gaynor as the young Anna, daughter of a logging foreman (Paul Panzer). She loves O'Brien, but he only has eyes for Gloria. Others in the cast include Max Davidson as the local department store owner. His role is meant to be comic relief, but the Jewish stereotype gets to be a bit much. There's also Kay Deslys in a dance number during a local show. Among the bit players are Carole Lombard, Clark Gable, and Gary Cooper! Rumor has it that Florence Lawrence is also recognizable.

Special effects aside, the real star here is Miss Gaynor. I had thought she had a small role early in her career, but she's actually the female co-lead and she's excellent. While Gilbert plays it straight as the lovely niece who eventually lands O'Brien, Gaynor's role allows her to do some comedy as the teenager and she gets the big scene when she saves the day (sort of) by galloping through the town on a horse, warning people the dam is about to blow.

Directed by Irving Cummings and photographed by George Schneiderman, this was one of the big hits of 1926 and helped make Gaynor a major star at the Fox Studio.