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The Volga Boatman (1926 film)

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This article is about the 1926 American silent film. For the 1936 French film, see The Volga Boatman (1936 film).

The Volga Boatman
Poster for film
Directed byCecil B. DeMille
Frank Urson (asst. director)
Written byLenore J. Coffee
Based onThe Volga Boatman
by Konrad Bercovici
Produced byCecil B. DeMille
StarringWilliam Boyd
Victor Varconi
Elinor Fair
CinematographyJ. Peverell Marley
Arthur C. Miller
Fred Westerberg
Edited byAnne Bauchens
Music byHugo Riesenfeld
Production
company
Cecil De Mille Pictures Corp.
Distributed byProducers Distributing Corporation
Release date
  • April 4, 1926 (1926-04-04)
[1]
Running time
120 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)
Budget$479,357[2]
Box office$1,275,375[2]

The Volga Boatman is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille,[3] who reportedly said the film was, "his greatest achievement in picture making".[citation needed] The film's budget was $479,000 and it grossed $1.27 million.[2] The film was highly successful, turning William Boyd into matinee idol overnight.

Plot

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As described in a film magazine review,[4] Vera, a princess engaged to a Russian nobleman, falls in love with Feodor, a young boatman. A revolution breaks out and the threatened princess is saved by the boatman, and brought to an inn as his wife. Here they are both captured by the royal army, where the woman’s former sweetheart makes her dance for the drunken soldiers. The boatman shoots one of them, and he and the princess are ordered to be shot. They are saved in time by the revolutionists, who force the noblemen to assume their places as boatmen. Realizing they are in love with each other, the boatman and the princess go their way.

Cast

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Production

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The film was based on a 1926 Konrad Bercovici novel of the same title and was adapted for the screen by Lenore J. Coffee. Mitchell Leisen, Anton Grot, and Max Parker served as art directors. Costumes were done by Adrian.[5]

Location shooting for the film was carried out near Rio Vista, California, in 1925.[5]

Preservation

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Complete prints of The Volga Boatman are held by:

Home media

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On June 27, 2000, the film was released on VHS by Kino Video. In July 2014, The Video Cellar released a lightly tinted DVD version of the film, and is currently the most widely available version. However, this version does not contain a musical score.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ "The Volga Boatman". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Birchard, Robert S. (2004). Cecil B. DeMille's Hollywood. University Press of Kentucky. p. 210. ISBN 978-0-8131-2636-4.
  3. ^ a b "Progressive Silent Film List: The Volga Boatman". silentera.com. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  4. ^ "New Pictures: The Volga Boatman". Exhibitors Herald. 25 (1). Chicago: Exhibitors Herald Co.: 91–92 March 20, 1926. Retrieved April 12, 2023. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. ^ a b "The Volga Boatman". afi.com. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  6. ^ "American Silent Feature Film Database: The Volga Boatman". Library of Congress. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
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