Cruise of the Jasper B
Encyclopedia
Cruise of the Jasper B is a 1926
American
silent
action/adventure comedy film produced by Cecil B. DeMille
and directed by James W. Horne
. The film is loosely based on the 1916
novel of the same name by American poet Don Marquis
, although the film adaptation and novel share little in common.
as 'Jerry Cleggert', a good-natured descendant of an infamous clan of pirates who resides aboard the rickety ship Jasper B. Cleggert is informed that in order to inherit a large inheritance, he must marry by his twenty-fifth birthday - otherwise he would relinquish all claims to his impending fortune.
Jerry soon meets his ideal would-be bride Agatha Fairhaven (Mildred Harris
) and the two immediately fall in love. Complications arise when Jerry's cousin, the dastardly lawyer Reginald Maltravers (Snitz Edwards
) claims Agatha as his own.
The courting couple suffer a series of mishaps on the way to altar; they are waylaid en route by a trio of bandits, escape from a runaway taxi cab, and outrun a mob of unscrupulous state authorities.
The weary couple finally manage to wed just before the deadline on board the Jasper B and Cleggert inherits his family fortune.
1926 in film
-Events:*August - Warner Brothers debuts the first Vitaphone film, Don Juan. The Vitaphone system used multiple 33⅓ rpm disc records developed by Bell Telephone Laboratories and Western Electric to play back audio synchronized with film....
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
silent
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
action/adventure comedy film produced by Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil Blount DeMille was an American film director and Academy Award-winning film producer in both silent and sound films. He was renowned for the flamboyance and showmanship of his movies...
and directed by James W. Horne
James W. Horne
James Wesley Horne was an early American actor, screenwriter and film director. He began his career as an actor under director Sidney Olcott at Kalem Studios in 1913 and directed his first film for the company two years later....
. The film is loosely based on the 1916
1916 in literature
The year 1916 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* The Journal of Negro History is founded by Carter Godwin Woodson, the father of "Black History" and "Negro History Week."...
novel of the same name by American poet Don Marquis
Don Marquis
Donald Robert Perry Marquis was a humorist, journalist, and author. He was variously a novelist, poet, newspaper columnist, and playwright. He is remembered best for creating the characters "Archy" and "Mehitabel", supposed authors of humorous verse.-Life:...
, although the film adaptation and novel share little in common.
Plot summary
Reminiscent of the popular Douglas Fairbanks swashbuckler films of the 1920s, Cruise of the Jasper B stars actor Rod La RocqueRod La Rocque
-Biography:He was born Roderick La Rocque in Chicago, Illinois. He began appearing in stock theater at the age of seven and eventually ended up at the Essanay Studios in Chicago where he found steady work until the studios closed. He then moved to New York City and worked on the stage until he was...
as 'Jerry Cleggert', a good-natured descendant of an infamous clan of pirates who resides aboard the rickety ship Jasper B. Cleggert is informed that in order to inherit a large inheritance, he must marry by his twenty-fifth birthday - otherwise he would relinquish all claims to his impending fortune.
Jerry soon meets his ideal would-be bride Agatha Fairhaven (Mildred Harris
Mildred Harris
Mildred Harris was an American film actress. Harris began her career in the film industry as a popular child actress at age eleven. At the age of fifteen, she was cast as a harem girl in D. W. Griffith's Intolerance . She appeared as a leading lady through the 1920s but her career slowed with...
) and the two immediately fall in love. Complications arise when Jerry's cousin, the dastardly lawyer Reginald Maltravers (Snitz Edwards
Snitz Edwards
Snitz Edwards was a notable character actor of the early years of the silent film era into the 1930s.- Background and career on the stage :...
) claims Agatha as his own.
The courting couple suffer a series of mishaps on the way to altar; they are waylaid en route by a trio of bandits, escape from a runaway taxi cab, and outrun a mob of unscrupulous state authorities.
The weary couple finally manage to wed just before the deadline on board the Jasper B and Cleggert inherits his family fortune.
Cast
- Rod La RocqueRod La Rocque-Biography:He was born Roderick La Rocque in Chicago, Illinois. He began appearing in stock theater at the age of seven and eventually ended up at the Essanay Studios in Chicago where he found steady work until the studios closed. He then moved to New York City and worked on the stage until he was...
- Jerry Cleggett - Mildred HarrisMildred HarrisMildred Harris was an American film actress. Harris began her career in the film industry as a popular child actress at age eleven. At the age of fifteen, she was cast as a harem girl in D. W. Griffith's Intolerance . She appeared as a leading lady through the 1920s but her career slowed with...
- Agatha Fairhaven - Snitz EdwardsSnitz EdwardsSnitz Edwards was a notable character actor of the early years of the silent film era into the 1930s.- Background and career on the stage :...
- Reginald Maltravers - Jack Ackroyd - Wiggins
- Otto LedererOtto LedererOtto Lederer was a Czech-born American film actor. He appeared in 120 films between 1912 and 1933.He was born in Prague, and died in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles. He was married to actress Gretchen Lederer...
- Auctioneer - James T. Mack - Assistant Auctioneer
- Billy EngleBilly EngleBilly Engle was an Austrian-born American film actor. He appeared in 169 films between 1917 and 1957.He was born in Austria and died in Hollywood, California, from a heart attack.-Selected filmography:...
- Little Mover - Charlie Hall - Mover
- Fred KelseyFred KelseyFrederick Alvin "Fred" Kelsey was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. He appeared in 404 films between 1911 and 1958, often playing policemen or detectives . He also directed 37 films between 1914 and 1920...
- Bailiff - Tiny SandfordTiny SandfordStanley J. "Tiny" Sandford was a tall, burly actor who is best remembered for his roles in Laurel and Hardy and Charlie Chaplin films. He was usually cast as a comic heavy, and often played policemen, doormen, prizefighters, or bullies.Sandford was born in Osage, Iowa. After working in stock...
- Big Mover