The Sea Beast

The Sea Beast is a 1926 silent film directed by Millard Webb, starring John Barrymore and Dolores Costello. The film was a major commercial success and one of the biggest pictures of 1926. The Sea Beast is an adaptation of the novel MobyDick by Herman Melville, a story about a monomaniacal hunt for a great white whale. However, the film alters the novels plotline by establishing prequel and sequel elements that are not in the original storysuch as the romancing of Esther and Ahabs safe return, respectivelyand substitutes a happy ending for Melvilles original tragic one. Some of the characters in the film do not appear in Melvilles original novel.

John Barrymore signed a three film contract with Warner Brothers in 1925 after the success of 1924s Beau Brummel. Barrymore had always wanted to do a film version of Moby Dick and insisted on making this film first rather than the prospected first contract film Don Juan. In retrospect and because of this delay, Don Juan became the first Warner feature to have the Vitaphone soundtrack rather than The Sea Beast.One of the most popular of Barrymores films, this version extends the story beyond the final battle of man versus whale in a variation on Melvilles book. Adding publicity to the film was a bit of early Hollywood hype, unintentional though it may seem the actress Priscilla Bonner was fired by Barrymore from the role of Wiscasset, in preference for his lover, actress Dolores Costello, and Bonner successfully sued the studio and won a considerable outofcourt settlement. Barrymore exploited the romantic scenes with Costello to their full potential in the film, displaying a boyish enthusiasm according to biographer Margot Peters, which made him fall out with Costellos mother. Barrymore drank heavily during the production of the film, an his eyes were constantly bloodshot, with stubble on his chin. Producer Jack L. Warner said thats a great makeup job to director Millard Webb, who retorted, Thats not makeup. Its a hangover. The ship used in the film, The Narwhal, was actually a former fighting ship with decks stained with blood from fights. The theme in the orchestral score is Loves Old Sweet Song. ........

Source: Wikipedia