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The Johnstown Flood
(1926) United States of America
B&W : Six reels / [?] 6258 or 6357? feet
Directed by Irving Cummings
Cast: George O’Brien [Tom O’Day], Florence Gilbert [Gloria Hamilton], Janet Gaynor [Anna Burger], Anders Randolf [John Hamilton, Gloria’s uncle], Paul Nicholson [Ward Peyton], Paul Panzer [Joe Burger, Anna’s father], Max Davidson [Isidore Mandel], George Harris [Sidney Mandel, his son], Walter Perry [Pat O’Day], Sid Jordan [Mullins], Jim Welch [Dinty McGinty]; Elmo Billings [the freckled accordion player], George Reed [the camp cook], Kay Deslys [the dance hall queen], [?] Babe London? [a dance hall performer], Fred Warren [the piano player], Dick Rush [a conspirator], Carol Lombard (Carole Lombard) [one of Gloria’s friends], Gary Cooper [a flood survivor], Clark Gable [a man standing at a saloon bar], Florence Lawrence [a townswoman], [?] Edward Arnold? [the fruit vendor]
Fox Film Corporation production; distributed by Fox Film Corporation [An Irving Cummings Production; A Victor Schertzinger production]. / Scenario by Edfrid Bingham and Robert Lord, from a screen story by Edfrid Bingham and Robert Lord. Assistant director, Charles Woolstenhulme. Photographed (cinematography) by George Schneiderman. Presented by William Fox. / © 28 February 1926 by Fox Film Corporation [LP22511]. Released 28 February 1926. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format. / The actual flood occurred on 31 May 1889 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
Drama: Historical.
Reviews: [The Moving Picture World, 13 March 1926, page 116] What is unquestionably the most gigantic and thrilling flood ever staged for the camera furnishes the climax and the basis of the story for the Irving Cummings production, “The Johnstown Flood,” offered by William Fox with George O’Brien in the leading role. / Around the great catastrophe of a generation ago which was caused by the breaking of a dam, resulting in the flooding of a valley in Pennsylvania with tremendous loss of life and property, there has been built up a dramatic story with enough melodramatic villainy to add additional pep. Unlike many pictures of this type, built up around a thrilling event, the flood has not been dragged in as an incident to the story, but is made the main point. In fact, the entire action is developed around the menace of the weak dam and the peril which it offers to the surrounding country. George O’Brien has the role of a young engineer who seeks to bring about the necessary repairs. He is opposed by a villainous superintendent of the lumber company owning the dam, who seeks to profit by the nonfulfillment of a contract. There is a pretty romance which culminates during the flood which occurs before the necessary steps can be made to insure safety. / The construction of this story is excellent. The possibility of disaster is introduced right at the start and furnishing a dramatic motive which gains in force as the action progresses up to the tremendous climax. There is good human interest and comedy. The flood sequences are a wonder. You see the breaking of the dam and the tremoundous wall of water rushing down the valley obliterating or sweeping away scores of buildings, in some of which you have just seen people taking refuge. The water is actuallty shown sweeping through streets thronged with people, and adding if possible to the menace of the water is the fact that it is carrying in its current scores of logs which add to the damage. The water actually sweeps through a crowded church during the wedding ceremony of the hero and heroine and in at least one instance you can see men apparently bowled over in the street by the onrushing logs. Oh, boy! here are real honest-to-goodness thrills that will bring your patrons to the edge of their seats and make them marvel as to how it was possible to produce such effects. Nothing more thrilling has ever been seen on the screen, and Director Irving Cummings has introduced additional punches and exciting drama by having a slip of a girl do a regular Paul Revere ride ahead of the rushing water, warning the people of the approach of disaster. / George O’Brien makes an excellent hero and is thoroughly fitted for the role. Florence Gilbert is pleasing as the heroine, and Janet Gaynor, a newcomer of great promise, gives a fine performance as the little girl who warns the inhabitants of the disaster. She is attractive and an excellent little actress and gives O’Brien a race for the honors. / “The Johnstown Flood” offers thrilling and satisfying entertainment for any type of audience and should prove an excellent box-office attraction.
Survival status: Prints exist in the George Eastman Museum film archive [35mm nitrate positive (incomplete, reels one through five only), 35mm preservation duplicate negative]; and in the holdings of the Johnstown Flood Museum film collection.
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Keywords: African-Americans - Alcohol: Beer, Drunkeness, Drunks - Animals: Cats, Chickens, Dogs, Horses - Bells - Blackface - Businesses: Companies, Retail - Children - Churches - Communication: Telegrams, Telephones - Dams (Dirt) - Death: Retribution - Destruction: Fire, Floods - Domestics: Maids - Entertainment: Dance halls - Fights - Food: Apples, Bananas, Pretzels - Games: Horseshoes - Garters - Gifts: Wedding presents - Greed - Handwriting - Inheritances - Irish-Americans - Jewish-Americans - Letters (Handwritten) - Lumber industry: Logs, Lumber camps, Lumber mills - Motion pictures: Mutoscopes - Mobs - Musical instruments: Accordions - Saloons: Bars, Bartenders, Beer taps - Special effects: Composities (Williams Process), Fires, Glass shots, Miniatures - Street scenes - Thugs - Tobacco: Cigars - Transportation: Buggies, Horseback, Horseless carriages, Trains, Wagons - USA: Pennsylvania: Johnstown, Pittsburgh - Vendors - Warnings - Water: Floods - Weapons: Knives, Pistols, Rifles - Weather: Rain - Weddings - Wells: Buckets - Wishes
Listing updated: 25 October 2024.
References: Film credits, film viewing : Pitts-Hollywood p. 181 : ClasIm-226 p. 43 : Website-AFI; Website-IMDb : with additional information provided by Douglas J. Richardson.
Home video: Blu-ray Disc.
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