‘Submarine’ docks at Everett Theatre

The “Adventure Series” segment of the Everett Theatre Society’s ongoing “Silents! Please” film series concludes Sunday, Jan. 25 with one of Frank Capra’s early directorial efforts, 1928’s “Submarine,” at the historic Everett Theatre.

This Frank Capra thriller, starring Jack Holt and Ralph Graves, deals with the rescue of a submarine sunk off the San Diego coast during exercises that trap the crew some 400 feet below the surface. Jack (Jack Holt) is a deep-sea diver and Bob (Ralph Graves) is his best friend. The Navy buddies have trouble when Bob goes out with Jack’s new wife (Dorothy Revier) — though not knowing she is Jack’s wife. But the big trouble comes when a submarine sinks with the crew on board and it’s a race against time for the Navy to get an air line down to the slowly asphyxiating crew of the S-44. It’s up to Jack to save the day.

The U.S. Navy served as consultants on the film and the picture refers specifically to the ill-fated S-44 during battle maneuvers in California waters. Another submarine disaster occurred later on the Atlantic coast, and between the East and West the Navy was on the receiving end of much criticism.

This was Capra’s first big-budget film and one of Columbia’s first “A” pictures, budgeted at $250,000. Noted director Irvin Willat began the film but was replaced when studio boss Harry Cohn reviewed his initial efforts. Although he’d been shooting for three weeks, Willat was pulled from the picture and Capra sent in on only a few hours’ notice. Capra began the project in San Pedro with one hundred extras on call as well as a number of Navy men.

Although the reviews of the time lauded the special effects, observing they showed no signs of laboratory faking, studio boss Cohn had refused to pay for experts in miniature or trick photography. It was left to Capra to come up with rescue scenes. In his autobiography, Capra told of how he did the shot in slow motion with a toy submarine and miniature diver figure made of lead that he’s gotten from a gumball machine, the kind with a claw that dispensed prizes with the gumballs. He filmed the setup immersed in a glass fish tank. “Submarine” was also the first Columbia film produced with sound effects. The eventual success of the picture helped double the value of Columbia’s stock and, according to Capra, he was given a new contract raising his salary from $500 to $1500 per week. By 1929, sound films became the standard, and Columbia remade “Submarine,” again starring Jack Holt, in 1931, retitled “Fifty Fathoms Deep.” It was redone again in 1937 as “The Depths Below” starring Richard Dix.

The Everett Theatre Society’s “Silents, Please!” series provides a unique experience in film by recreating the pre-sound era of cinema in the restored 102-year-old Everett Theatre. Variable speed projectors are used to restore the correct speed of the film, and organist and silent film revivalist Dennis James accompanies each film on the theater’s 16-rank pipe organ, in most cases playing from restored original musical scores written for these classic silent films.

“Submarine” will be shown at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 25 at the historic Everett Theater, located at 2911 Colby Ave. in downtown Everett. Ticket prices are $11 for adults, $10 for seniors (60+), students and military, and $5 for children 12 and under. For tickets and information, patrons may call the theatre at 425-258-6766. For more information, visit www.everetttheatre.org or email ets.boxoffice@verizon. net. The box office is open Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m., and 30 minutes before the show.