Nice attempt at comic adventure humor in the vein of GUNGA DIN is this silent film that has been missing for decades but is now restored enough to be shown on TCM.
Louis Wolheim and William Boyd have the kind of chemistry on display decades later in buddy films like BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID--and it is this element of the film that makes it watchable today.
Otherwise, much of it is pretty dreary stuff--the high point for me being the prison camp scenes in the mud. Surprising to find that this light romp was directed by the heavy-handed Lewis Milestone who later did grim war films like A WALK IN THE SUN.
Only fanatic silent film fans will thoroughly enjoy this one. Photography is surprisingly good considering how vintage the whole production is. Mary Astor makes a wide-eyed ingenue and was indeed a youthful beauty at the time.
Acting honors go to the two leads--especially William Boyd's carefree soldier who shows a real flair for "buddy" comedy.
I thought the musical score became a bit irritating after awhile. Hard to picture this in the Best Film category when today it seems like no more than a pleasant trifle.
Louis Wolheim and William Boyd have the kind of chemistry on display decades later in buddy films like BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID--and it is this element of the film that makes it watchable today.
Otherwise, much of it is pretty dreary stuff--the high point for me being the prison camp scenes in the mud. Surprising to find that this light romp was directed by the heavy-handed Lewis Milestone who later did grim war films like A WALK IN THE SUN.
Only fanatic silent film fans will thoroughly enjoy this one. Photography is surprisingly good considering how vintage the whole production is. Mary Astor makes a wide-eyed ingenue and was indeed a youthful beauty at the time.
Acting honors go to the two leads--especially William Boyd's carefree soldier who shows a real flair for "buddy" comedy.
I thought the musical score became a bit irritating after awhile. Hard to picture this in the Best Film category when today it seems like no more than a pleasant trifle.