The Volga Boatman is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille,[3] who reportedly said the film was, "his greatest achievement in picture making".[citation needed] The film's budget was $479,000 and it grossed $1.27 million.[2] The film was highly successful, turning William Boyd into matinee idol overnight.
| The Volga Boatman | |
|---|---|
 Poster for film | |
| Directed by | Cecil B. DeMille Frank Urson (asst. director) |
| Written by | Lenore J. Coffee |
| Based on | The Volga Boatman by Konrad Bercovici |
| Produced by | Cecil B. DeMille |
| Starring | William Boyd Victor Varconi Elinor Fair |
| Cinematography | J. Peverell Marley Arthur C. Miller Fred Westerberg |
| Edited by | Anne Bauchens |
| Music by | Hugo Riesenfeld |
Production company | Cecil De Mille Pictures Corp. |
| Distributed by | Producers Distributing Corporation |
Release date |
|
Running time | 120 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
| Budget | $479,357[2] |
| Box office | $1,275,375[2] |
Plot
editAs described in a film magazine review,[4] Vera, a princess engaged to a Russian nobleman, falls in love with Feodor, a young boatman. A revolution breaks out and the threatened princess is saved by the boatman, and brought to an inn as his wife. Here they are both captured by the royal army, where the woman’s former sweetheart makes her dance for the drunken soldiers. The boatman shoots one of them, and he and the princess are ordered to be shot. They are saved in time by the revolutionists, who force the noblemen to assume their places as boatmen. Realizing they are in love with each other, the boatman and the princess go their way.
Cast
edit- William Boyd as Feodor, a Volga boatman
- Elinor Fair as Vera, a princess
- Robert Edeson as Prince Nikita
- Victor Varconi as Prince Dimitri
- Julia Faye as Mariusha, a gypsy
- Theodore Kosloff as Stefan, a blacksmith
- Arthur Rankin as Vashi, a Boatman
- Ed Brady as A Boatman (uncredited)
- Charles Clary as Red Army officer (uncredited)
- Gino Corrado as White Army officer (uncredited)
- Lillian Elliott as landlady (uncredited)
- John George as Red Army soldier (uncredited)
Production
editThe film was based on a 1926 Konrad Bercovici novel of the same title and was adapted for the screen by Lenore J. Coffee. Mitchell Leisen, Anton Grot, and Max Parker served as art directors. Costumes were done by Adrian.[5]
Location shooting for the film was carried out near Rio Vista, California, in 1925.[5]
Preservation
editComplete prints of The Volga Boatman are held by:
- George Eastman Museum (on 35 mm)[3]
- Cineteca Nazionale (on 35 mm)
- UCLA Film and Television Archive (on 35 mm)
- British Film Institute[6]
Home media
editOn June 27, 2000, the film was released on VHS by Kino Video. In July 2014, The Video Cellar released a lightly tinted DVD version of the film, and is currently the most widely available version. However, this version does not contain a musical score.[citation needed]
References
edit- ^ "The Volga Boatman". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
- ^ a b c Birchard, Robert S. (2004). Cecil B. DeMille's Hollywood. University Press of Kentucky. p. 210. ISBN 978-0-8131-2636-4.
- ^ a b "Progressive Silent Film List: The Volga Boatman". silentera.com. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ "New Pictures: The Volga Boatman". Exhibitors Herald. 25 (1). Chicago: Exhibitors Herald Co.: 91–92 March 20, 1926. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b "The Volga Boatman". afi.com. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ "American Silent Feature Film Database: The Volga Boatman". Library of Congress. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
External links
edit
- The Volga Boatman at IMDb
- Synopsis at AllMovie
- The Volga Boatman DVD issue
- The Volga Boatman (1926) A Silent Film Review | Movies Silently
- Still at silenthollywood.com
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