Across to Singapore

During the first half of this film, I was very impressed. I thought that I might end up rating it very high. The story in the last half ended up being disappointingly silly though. Too bad.

From the outset, I loved the characters and varied scenes. There was Crawford and Novarro in youthful play, a great reunion of brothers and family, and some fun bar room fighting.

Novarro was almost Buster Keaton-like at times. For instance after the bar room brawl when he drapes a passed-out sailor over his shoulder, then punches him aside to show his 3 brothers how tough he is. They were impressed!

Torrence is great as the oldest brother who still owns his young sibling Novarro enough to put him off to bed after dinner by unceremoniously carrying him upstairs to the bedroom.

Even though it is an early Crawford film, she shows some excellent facial expression to reveal her underlying emotion. This was essential in silents. She could be disarmingly flirty when surprising Novarro with a kiss, but then flip to moderate disdain when approached in a clinch by Torrence. His facial expression is equally appropriate by looking quizzical at Crawford's response to his advance. Just what the heck is she thinking????

I was very impressed with the sea storm scenes onboard the ship Nathan Ross. The danger of a violent storm was impressively displayed and more realistic than many films of that time(or even some later).

Once the ship arrives in Singapore, another well-acted performance hits the screen. In a local bar, Anna May Wong quickly dumps her guy and latches on to oldest brother Torrence. I can't believe she didn't make the screen credits.

After this, the story gets more contrived and silly. Torrence hams up his perpetual drunken stupor over Crawford. Novarro somehow wants to dish off the love of his life in deference to his older brother. After returning home in irons for deserting his brother in a fight he can't convince his father that it is his accuser who has lied. It gets more ridiculous at the very end but the credibility is not there as it is at the beginning of the film.

I won't spoil it. Watch it for yourself.

Overall I still found this film very fun to watch. I loved the acting. I liked all the early scenes. Too bad the last parts didn't carry it at the end.

Ramon Novarro (as Joel) is the youngest of the seafaring Shore family. While older brother Ernest Torrence (as Mark) is off on a long voyage, Mr. Novarro falls for fetching Joan Crawford (as Pricilla). Upon returning, Mr. Torrence is revealed to have also fallen for the bewitching Ms. Crawford - and, eventually, the brothers become rivals. Crawford prefers Novarro, but her father "betrothes" her to Torrence. Before their wedded bliss begins, however, the Shore brothers must make a trip to Singapore; it's Novarro's first voyage with older brothers, after proving himself in a barroom brawl. While sailing "Across to Singapore", a fierce storm blasts the Shore brothers' "Nathan Ross" ship - with tragic results…

Actually, this is a version of "All the Brothers Were Valiant". Perhaps the title was changed because one brother clearly dominates (Novarro), and only one other figures prominently (Torrence). Although there are four Shore brothers, you won't see much of the others, valiant or otherwise. It's odd MGM re-made this story in 1928; it was seen relatively recently, in 1923, with Malcolm McGregor, Lon Chaney, and Billie Dove as Joel, Mark, and Pricilla. AND, there was no sound version until 1953, with Robert Taylor, Stewart Granger, and Ann Blyth in the principal roles.

Novarro performs very well, especially enjoy his scene with Crawford, when she boards the ship to bid farewell, before his maiden voyage. It's also one of Crawford's best scenes, and the lower "Nathan Ross" set is beautifully detailed. Anna May Wong also performs very well; though uncredited, she is the best supporting player. Note Ms. May Wong's excellent introduction (during the first trip to Singapore) - she relates her dissatisfaction with her man, and her desire for Mark, with a few simple gestures. May Wong is superb, and should have been included in the film's credits. James Mason (not the later actor) is fine as the villain.

There are some problems with the story. The whole "betrothed" issue is confusing to me, and may be to others. I also don't understand why an experienced sailor like Mark Shore immediately goes below and gets drunk; perhaps, he saw little brother with Crawford earlier on? I wondered how Mark Shore could order a certain character killed, and, seconds later reverse said order. Though a fine actor, I had some trouble accepting Torrence in this role - I expected him to be the villain, due to his other indelible portrayals.

A big MGM production, with a lot of excitement, and a fine cast. The voyages of the "Nathan Ross" are particularly exciting… great storm, and great ending. This is a film that was "saved" in the nick of time, however, and some of the film is sadly deteriorated; happily, it is still enjoyable.

******** Across to Singapore (1928) William Nigh ~ Ramon Novarro, Joan Crawford, Ernest Torrence

The story is well known and has been made often. Two brothers in love with the same woman. Of course, the one she is betrothed to is NOT the one she loves.

The only remaining copy of this film was saved and restored right before it disintegrated; so the viewing can be a bit blotchy, especially towards the end.

Joan Crawford is still learning her craft and does a lot of the silent-star grimacing that so often accompanies the over-acting damsel-in-distress routine of the 20's. She is definitely miscast in the role of a milquetoast girl who won't speak her mind to the right people. But it is interesting to watch her as she puts her best foot forwards, as always.

Ramon Novarro is the real STAR of this movie. There are abundant close-ups and he really does have a timeless magic. His boyishness and earnest attitude seems very real and is completely endearing. His character is well-cast and his is the only believable role aside from the villain ship-mate played by Jim Mason.

Ernest Torrence has the best role for an actor with opportunities galore to chew the scenery ... and he DOES with gusto. Much too old for the part he is playing, his saving grace is that he IS a likeable curmudgeon and the viewer may choose to overlook his miscasting.

If you love Novarro, don't miss this. If you love Crawford, check her out as she attends MGM's acting class 101. If you love sea dramas, this is just ok. As a silent film, it's watchable and mildly entertaining, but no great classic.

A rare chance to watch Joan Crawford just before her breakthrough in silent pictures the same year, when she starred in `Our Dancing Daughters' as the epitome of the '20s flapper. In this movie she plays the lady-in-between (and the cause of sibling rivalry) seamen brothers Ramon Novarro (Joel Shore) and Ernest Torrence (Captain Mark Shore).

Crawford does a fine job playing the ingénue, and boy! does she look different from the trademark image she adopted from the 1930s onwards: in this picture her features look much softer, she has `smaller' lips, etc. (sort of the '20s look).

But, I must have to note that this is Novarro's film all the way, playing devil-may-care Joel Shore, the youngest of four seaman brothers, who becomes a full-fledged, grown-up man, the hard way.

Novarro's flair for comedy, playing and foolin' around, making practical jokes and having lots of fun, is at full display in the first half of the picture (these scenes are heartfelt and very believable), before he has to confront life and his much admired eldest brother (Torrence), because of their love for the same woman. A very entertaining film, you almost forget it's silent.

The same story had been filmed before by Metro pictures in 1923, using the original story's title "All the Brothers were Valiant", starring Malcolm McGregor, Lon Chaney and Billie Dove. Then again, it was remade by MGM in 1953 as "All the brothers were valiant" with Robert Taylor, Stewart Granger and Ann Blyth.

What interested me most into seeing 'Across to Singapore' was seeing Joan Crawford in one of her earliest films. The story did not sound great and reviews are very, very mixed here, but Crawford was a fine actress and it was interesting to see how she was like very early on in her career when she was still learning her craft and not completely found her style. That was true for a lot of actors and actresses though back then and it's always been apparent come to think of it.

'Across to Singapore' intrigues somewhat and it is watchable, with some things done well. It is a pretty strange film though and is more a curio if anything, primarily to be seen if a fan of Crawford and want to see everything she did. Crawford did do much better than 'Across to Singapore' since. Both in regard to performances and overall film quality, for me this was one of not many cases of her being outshone and that is not something said often.

Some of the sets look quite nice, the storm scenes look impressive, and there is the odd exciting set piece such as the climax. Some of the first half is entertaining, partly because of Ramon Novarro's comic timing.

Novarro does very well here, his character is a reckless one in terms of attitude but he portrays him endearingly and not obnoxiously. Ernest Torrence does curmudgeonly with gusto and Anna May Wong is perfectly alluring.

Crawford however is less convincing. Her character is not a particularly meaty one, Crawford was at her best when she had a character that she could sink her teeth into (literally too), and required a lot more subtlety than seen in her quite histrionic interpretation. The direction doesn't really engage and tends to be merely workmanlike and not much more. 'Across to Singapore' started off well, but by the halfway point all the way through to the end it became generally increasingly silly and muddled. One knows even from reading the quite cliched synopsis that it would be pretty predictable and nothing new is done here, this is standard stuff and silly and unfocused standard stuff at that.

The pace lacks energy and in the second half when the film runs out of ideas pretty much it creaks quite badly. The only chemistry to convince is between Novarro and Torrence, bland everywhere else. Some nice sets aside, the production values look pretty primitive. Evident in some disorganised editing and nothing really stands out in the photography either.

Good from curiosity standpoint but not really recommended. 5/10