Summer is once again upon us and, in my area, July tends to be the hottest month or at least the most unbearable, so I try to keep things cool through some mental gymnastics, including movies that are cold and damp.
This month will be entirely made up up silent films set on, in, or under the sea. Most of them will be dramatic, though I do have a bit of humor planned, and they will also be visually striking and most of all… wet. Nice, cool water… ah!
The sea played a heavy role in silent films. It’s instantly dramatic and swashbuckling, there are endless possibilities for bloody revenge, romance and, of course, slapstick. I have covered my share of nautical films but here are a few standouts:
Behind the Door (1919): A tale of nautical vengeance with a taxidermist merchant marine seeking vengeance against a German u-boat captain. The finale still shocks.
Out of the Deep (1912): An Edison melodrama with underwater scenes faked via… cabbage?
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1916): An odd adaptation of the Jules Verne novel with very real underwater scenes, highly innovative for the time.
The Sea Hawk (1924): One of my favorite swashbucklers, full-scale ship battles!
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Movies Silently 