I am so happy for this release as it finally allowed me to see Rupert Julian's THE YANKEE CLIPPER in something other than the truncated 1998 Critic's Choice VHS version which was taken from the Killiam Collection. That version ran less than an hour and had narration from Paul Killiam himself. It was probably taken from his old SILENTS PLEASE TV series (which would account for the narration) and gives you a feel for the film, but now Flicker Alley has given us an 81 minute version that not only plays well but gives us the opportunity to appreciate the glorious at sea cinematography as well as the more complete performances from the actors.
Long before he became associated with the role of Hopalong Cassidy, William Boyd was a capable leading man for Cecil B. De Mille during the late 1920s. In CLIPPER he is joined by his wife Elinor Fair, child actor Junior Coghlan, and veteran silent villain Walter Long. The real stars here are the clipper ships which were refitted for the movie and captured on film for all time. The movie is also one of only 3 films from director Rupert Julian to survive. Julian's main claim to fame is the 1925 Lon Chaney PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. He was also given solo credit for the 1923 MERRY-GO-ROUND where he took over from a fired Erich von Stroheim.
The title of this DVD, UNDER FULL SAIL, refers to the 3 documentaries included as well as THE YANKEE CLIPPER. They are SHIP AHOY, THE SQUARE RIGGER, and AROUND THE HORN IN A SQUARE RIGGER. Bonus features in addition to the docs are a 10 minute excerpt from the 1922 feature DOWN TO THE SEA IN SHIPS (which is fully available elsewhere) and an audio interview with 90 year old Frank (Junior) Coghlan who was 10 when he made CLIPPER. Special mention should also be made of the fine organ scores provided by Dennis James who has stepped in to fill the shoes of the late Gaylord Carter. Yet another top flight release from Flicker Alley. Thanks to all concerned who helped bring this project to fruition.
