Sea Devils (1931) watch online HD

A frail and melodramatic plot can be set aside by the viewer during this early sound film, while enjoying the rather incongruous musical interludes which occur in sporadic fashion. Edmund Burns is featured in the role of Richard Charters, an innocent but convicted man who escapes from a penitentiary and makes his way to the local waterfront, where he stows away upon a treasure hunting crew's sailing vessel schooner. Since he is soon discovered and half the crew is mutinous, complications rapidly occur, generally involving the ship captain's daughter Ann, played by a sturdy Molly O'Day, and her pet monkey. Although one must take this lightweight work in the spirit with which it is made, there are enjoyable moments, in particular those which include craggy-faced Walter Long, the ship's first mate and villain of the piece.

This is a movie that certainly has curiosity value. Although the credits don't acknowledge the fact, it's actually a Poverty Row remake of "Moran of the Lady Letty" (1922), omitting most of Rudolph Valentino's long introductory sequences and all the concluding episodes. After a brief introductory escaping-from-prison sequence (using painfully obvious stock footage) plus a watered-down reprise of the Valentino scene in the bar-room, the movie settles down to reprise a great deal of the "Lady Letty" material, but using extremely cramped studio sets and omitting the fire sequences of course.

Although he had an excellent voice, silent star Edmund Burns is still no match for a mute Valentino. In fact, Burns displayed such little charisma in his early sound features that he was soon playing uncredited bit roles. In this Poverty Row "Sea Devils" (1930), his last star part, he is partnered by Molly O'Day who, despite her diminutive size and somewhat chunky thighs, carries the film on her own personality-plus shoulders. True, she receives a bit of assistance from director Joseph Levering who makes the most of his very sparse budget, and perennial villain Walter Long who hams it up agreeably as a (you guessed it!) mutinous mate. Way-down-the-cast's Jim Donnelly has a major role as the ship's captain but doesn't convince us he could handle the Staten Island ferry, let alone a barque on the high seas. A talented chimp steals scenes right, left and center from all but Miss O'Day who is more than a match for any simian interlopers.

Although it runs only 58 minutes, the movie still seems somewhat overloaded with extraneous scenes. Not that I'm complaining as one of these interludes features none other than popular silent comedian, Fatty Karr, who heavies it up most delightfully here as a bellicose barkeeper. This movie is now available on an excellent Alpha DVD.