I don't know whether The Johnstown Flood was the summer blockbuster of 1926, as Titanic was in 1997, but it's certainly the same basic plot
Fictionalized telling of the day a couple thousand people died from drowing. But before we get to the action, we gotta have the handsome male star moon over some beautiful dame. In the background we have the Evil Kapitalists ignoring safety warnings in a mad dash for profit under tight deadlines while a lone conscientious voice warns of danger ahead. Meanwhile, the poorz enjoy their brutish entertainments to keep their minds off their miserable lives.
Mercifully, unlike the several hours it takes James Cameron's film to get to the exciting part, it takes this movie just under an hour. The production crew put in a lot of effort creating the miniatures required to recreate the flood. If you can put yourself in the mind of a 1926 movie-goer it's actually quite fun to watch. They even included the inferno portion of the flood (don't believe me, google it). And it's over and done with in about 10 minutes. Again, unlike the 7-1/2 hours it took the Titanic to sink in the film.
As with a lot of silent films, I soon hit the mute button. The soundtrack distracts, rather than adds to the experience.
Fictionalized telling of the day a couple thousand people died from drowing. But before we get to the action, we gotta have the handsome male star moon over some beautiful dame. In the background we have the Evil Kapitalists ignoring safety warnings in a mad dash for profit under tight deadlines while a lone conscientious voice warns of danger ahead. Meanwhile, the poorz enjoy their brutish entertainments to keep their minds off their miserable lives.
Mercifully, unlike the several hours it takes James Cameron's film to get to the exciting part, it takes this movie just under an hour. The production crew put in a lot of effort creating the miniatures required to recreate the flood. If you can put yourself in the mind of a 1926 movie-goer it's actually quite fun to watch. They even included the inferno portion of the flood (don't believe me, google it). And it's over and done with in about 10 minutes. Again, unlike the 7-1/2 hours it took the Titanic to sink in the film.
As with a lot of silent films, I soon hit the mute button. The soundtrack distracts, rather than adds to the experience.