Across to Singapore (1928) User Reviews (23)

Novarro has magic and Crawford's still in-training

[bobbyatgloss · 5/10 · 5 December 1999]

The story is well known and has been made often. Two brothers in love with the same woman. Of course, the one she is betrothed to is NOT the one she loves.

The only remaining copy of this film was saved and restored right before it disintegrated; so the viewing can be a bit blotchy, especially towards the end.

Joan Crawford is still learning her craft and does a lot of the silent-star grimacing that so often accompanies the over-acting damsel-in-distress routine of the 20's. She is definitely miscast in the role of a milquetoast girl who won't speak her mind to the right people. But it is interesting to watch her as she puts her best foot forwards, as always.

Ramon Novarro is the real STAR of this movie. There are abundant close-ups and he really does have a timeless magic. His boyishness and earnest attitude seems very real and is completely endearing. His character is well-cast and his is the only believable role aside from the villain ship-mate played by Jim Mason.

Ernest Torrence has the best role for an actor with opportunities galore to chew the scenery ... and he DOES with gusto. Much too old for the part he is playing, his saving grace is that he IS a likeable curmudgeon and the viewer may choose to overlook his miscasting.

If you love Novarro, don't miss this. If you love Crawford, check her out as she attends MGM's acting class 101. If you love sea dramas, this is just ok. As a silent film, it's watchable and mildly entertaining, but no great classic.

Great sailing ship in storm sequence good feel fast paced.

[skellig-01687 · 7/10 · 31 August 2018]

"Taste the iron, you crummy lubbers!" as the final ship board fight begins This film moves along plot wise, They, director and production team, really worked on this one, with tons of scene set-ups and good close ups with great smooth editing throughout, that add to feeling of story line rather than being so accurate to the master shot. Check out the ship, rigging and attire: 19th century 3 master and rope laden, so real all the way throughout the film. Great ship at sea storm sequences is great action, making it one for a highlite reel of 20's great movie sequences of action. I was getting seasick. Yes other reviews posted here are quite accurate: acting comments & story from book, plot holes (funny comment sinking & not leaving port) , terrible print (TCM Aug/31 showing) yes a bit like watching thru a porthole in storm, but only adds authenticity to date of making for me, etc. Piano scoring intelligent but a bit relentless. But if you enjoy this sort of realness, this movie is a gem.

The Captain Of Her Heart

[Spondonman · 7/10 · 20 January 2008]

This is a good silent film, with high MGM production values, good acting, story and direction – to me the 84 minutes running time flew by.

Ramon Navarro and Joan Crawford are young lovers Joel and Priscilla who are unexpectedly and unintentionally thwarted by his chunky big brother Cap'n Mark played by Ernest Torrence suddenly being publicly announced as being betrothed to her. From the playful opening scenes at the shipwreck, jolly dinner party and rites of passage (for Joel) bar-room brawl it gets serious, coinciding with a pivotal voyage to Singapore on the Nathan Ross. The other two brothers are summarily dismissed from the plot by Noah getting washed overboard in a storm and Matthew lost with the Sea Robin. The only bit I didn't like was Mark crazy with drink in Singapore – presumably not still moping about Priscilla because Joel had smoothed it over on board the ship, but the implication it was caused by guilt over his six month relationship with Anna May Wong who was meant to be seen as a lesser mortal by the highly moral white audience. Favourite bits: the juvenile scenes by Joel at the dinner party; the storm scenes; the very realistic climactic fight scene; the main players' conflicting emotions as the plot unravels. The print saved is generally good but can be a bit dodgy - only just pre-combustion in places, but bearable if you get into the story.

Well worth watching for all sorts of reasons – if nothing else for Novarro and Crawford and MGM being young and full of life and promise.

Entertaining silent adventure yarn

[fsilva · 16 September 2002]

A rare chance to watch Joan Crawford just before her breakthrough in silent pictures the same year, when she starred in `Our Dancing Daughters' as the epitome of the '20s flapper. In this movie she plays the lady-in-between (and the cause of sibling rivalry) seamen brothers Ramon Novarro (Joel Shore) and Ernest Torrence (Captain Mark Shore).

Crawford does a fine job playing the ingénue, and boy! does she look different from the trademark image she adopted from the 1930s onwards: in this picture her features look much softer, she has `smaller' lips, etc. (sort of the '20s look).

But, I must have to note that this is Novarro's film all the way, playing devil-may-care Joel Shore, the youngest of four seaman brothers, who becomes a full-fledged, grown-up man, the hard way.

Novarro's flair for comedy, playing and foolin' around, making practical jokes and having lots of fun, is at full display in the first half of the picture (these scenes are heartfelt and very believable), before he has to confront life and his much admired eldest brother (Torrence), because of their love for the same woman. A very entertaining film, you almost forget it's silent.

The same story had been filmed before by Metro pictures in 1923, using the original story's title "All the Brothers were Valiant", starring Malcolm McGregor, Lon Chaney and Billie Dove. Then again, it was remade by MGM in 1953 as "All the brothers were valiant" with Robert Taylor, Stewart Granger and Ann Blyth.

Great cast, plot falters in second half

[gbill-74877 · 6/10 · 20 December 2020]

Buoyed by the strength of its cast, for the first 55 minutes or so this is a pretty decent silent film, featuring two brothers (Ramon Novarro and Ernest Torrence) in a love triangle with a young woman (Joan Crawford). Novarro is magnetic and was at the height of his stardom, Crawford a pretty young thing just about to hit it big (albeit in very different types of roles), and Torrance perfectly cast as the hulking seaman. The brothers sail off to Singapore and face misadventures along the way, including a storm while rounding Cape Horn, the special effects for which are well done for the era.

While I liked the performances from the principals, I confess what brought me to the film was Anna May Wong, who briefly appears (uncredited) as a Singaporean prostitute. The role is unfortunate but typical of those she was relegated to by Hollywood and I wish she had been getting the parts she deserved, but the sassy little flick of her hair while strutting away from a guy hitting on her at roughly 45:15 is one of my favorite moments in her filmography. In the biography he wrote of Wong, Graham Russell Gao Hodges says that preserved stills from the original footage reveal that passionate scenes between Wong and Novarro wound up on the cutting room floor, which is a damn shame (and somewhat surprising, since what we see has her ardor directed at Torrence's character ... it seems a machete was taken to the action out in Singapore, which may explain the film's narrative issues). Increasingly upset at these types of parts and unable to get a romantic type leading role because of the taboo against miscegenation, Wong left America the same year to make films in Europe for a few years.

Unfortunately, the film really fades in its final half hour, starting with an unexpected revelation when a repeat visit is made out to Singapore. Without spoiling it, I will just say it's an unfair turn of events because it defies what we've seen and been told before, and the characters then continue on without surprise or explanation. The film starts lagging and gets highly melodramatic in a fight sequence that's tiresome by the time we get around to it. It's a little unfortunate the script and storytelling didn't match the star power here, but it's worth taking a look.

Competently made, but a tad dated--even for a silent film

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 25 September 2007]

This film has a very, very complicated plot--so complicated that it really seemed to have too much plot. The main plot involves Ramon Novarro falling in love with a young Joan Crawford. However, when Ramon's brothers return from a sea voyage, Crawford is promised to Ramon's oldest brother and Ramon is a bit of a milksop and says nothing. However, he does accompany two of his brothers on their next sea voyage, as the oldest brother is the captain and the next brother is the first mate (thank goodness for good old fashioned nepotism). Soon, all kinds of crazy crap occurs (such as one brother falling overboard and dying, the older brother being stabbed and left for dead in Singapore and Ramon being blamed for the stabbing!). All this made for a very complicated plot--and if I tried explaining it, you'd probably not believe me!

In a strange and impossible to believe twist, when the ship with Ramon in chains arrives back home on the East Coast of America, Ramon hijacks the ship back to Singapore without getting supplies and seems to arrive there in the space of just a few days AND he brings Crawford with him (why, we just don't know). Then, even more oddly, the older brother swims aboard the boat and it all ends up in an exciting but ridiculous conclusion.

When this film debuted in 1928, I assume it played much better than it does now, as the plot seems awfully melodramatic and tough to believe. However, as far as production values go, it is a very good silent and the script is interesting enough to make it better than just a time-passer. A competent but far from great film.

Silent romance drama sea tale starring Roman Novarro, Joan Crawford, Ernest Torrence

[jacobs-greenwood · 6/10 · 13 December 2016]

Directed by William Nigh, with titles by Academy Award winner Joseph Farnham, this silent drama stars Ramon Novarro, Joan Crawford, and Ernest Torrence. Set in a (New England?) sailing community, Novarro and Crawford play childhood playmates who have grown up, he into a man almost big enough to sail with his brother's (Torrence) ship, she into a woman old enough to be betrothed.

When Torrence's ship the Nathan Ross returns from a 2 year journey, the conflict begins: big brother falls for little brother's girl, and their father (with her father) arranges a marriage between her and the older brother. Throw in a first mate (Jim Mason) who's jealous that little brother appears to be next in line for the ship's helm, and you've got a very good story with lots of action, worth seeing despite the poor quality of the print I saw on TCM recently.

The Shores are a sailing family, father Jeremiah (Frank Currier) has long since retired and given the reigns to his oldest son, burly Mark (Torrence); Mark's first mate is his brother Noah (Dan Wolheim). The youngest son Joel (Novarro) plays with childhood sweetie Priscilla (Crawford) while he dreams of one day sailing with his brothers.

Mark's ship the Nathan Ross returns to port after a 2 year voyage, bringing goods from far off lands as the entire community celebrates. Mark immediately notices that both Joel and Priscilla have grown much since he last saw them. That evening at dinner, he notices Priscilla even more; flirting with her even as Joel tries to interrupt by playing pranks on his older brother. Mark "falls hard" for Priscilla and, while Joel is upstairs being put to bed by Mark, Priscilla's father (Edward Connelly) and Jeremiah arrange for their betrothal (Mark's & Priscilla's, that is), to be announced at the next morning's church services.

Refusing to go to bed quietly, and assisted by Priscilla, who kisses him, Joel dresses in one of Mark's over-sized sea "uniforms" and catches up with his brothers, including Matthew (Duke Martin), at the local pub. Soon joined by young Joel, the four get involved in a fight with some other seamen over who has the better ship, etc.. Joel manages to avoid the fight but, after it's over, is able to fool his brothers into thinking he was part of it, despite his lack of any markings.

In church the next morning, much to everyone but the father's surprise, Mark's & Priscilla's engagement is announced. Joel and Priscilla are both clearly surprised and upset, but Priscilla seems to go along with it. When next the Nathan Ross sails, per the bar fight, Joel has earned his place on the ship. Though Priscilla comes to see the ship off, she withdraws from Mark's kisses on two occasions; Joel will have nothing of her affections, reminding her that she's engaged to his oldest brother.

On the journey, it becomes clear to one of the more experienced mates, Finch (Mason), that his chances of being first mate, and/or captain, of the Nathan Ross one day are slim and none given the succession of Shore brothers which now includes Joel. During a particularly vicious storm around Cape Horn, he acts and Noah is killed when he falls overboard; Mark had been powerless to help him given his drunken sorrow over Priscilla's shunning of his affections.

In the port of Singapore, Finch's actions become even bolder. He conspires to have Mark killed by a local gang while he has Joel accused a coward for not helping his brother in the fight. Mark is not really killed, but is too wounded to return to the Nathan Ross before it sails, so he's thought dead. We learn later that he's befriended by a local girl (Anna May Wong, uncredited) while he drinks to excess because of his predicament. Meanwhile, after returning home, even though he's shunned as a coward, Joel assembles a crew to take the Nathan Ross back to Singapore to find Mark. He "forces" Priscilla to come with him. Finch and the ship's original crew also, reluctantly come along, but an inevitable conflict is brewing since Finch knows, if Mark is found alive, his goose is cooked.

Once in Singapore, Joel & Priscilla find the drunken Mark, who is enraged to "discover" that Joel is the one that Priscilla loves. However, shortly thereafter, a fight between Joel's hired hands and Finch's crew ensues. During the fight, Mark is mortally wounded by Finch, and then Joel kills his brother's murderer. Before he dies, Mark gives Joel & Priscilla his blessing.

Well done silent, but flawed finish.

[garyjack5 · 7/10 · 18 December 2020]

During the first half of this film, I was very impressed. I thought that I might end up rating it very high. The story in the last half ended up being disappointingly silly though. Too bad.

From the outset, I loved the characters and varied scenes. There was Crawford and Novarro in youthful play, a great reunion of brothers and family, and some fun bar room fighting.

Novarro was almost Buster Keaton-like at times. For instance after the bar room brawl when he drapes a passed-out sailor over his shoulder, then punches him aside to show his 3 brothers how tough he is. They were impressed!

Torrence is great as the oldest brother who still owns his young sibling Novarro enough to put him off to bed after dinner by unceremoniously carrying him upstairs to the bedroom.

Even though it is an early Crawford film, she shows some excellent facial expression to reveal her underlying emotion. This was essential in silents. She could be disarmingly flirty when surprising Novarro with a kiss, but then flip to moderate disdain when approached in a clinch by Torrence. His facial expression is equally appropriate by looking quizzical at Crawford's response to his advance. Just what the heck is she thinking????

I was very impressed with the sea storm scenes onboard the ship Nathan Ross. The danger of a violent storm was impressively displayed and more realistic than many films of that time(or even some later).

Once the ship arrives in Singapore, another well-acted performance hits the screen. In a local bar, Anna May Wong quickly dumps her guy and latches on to oldest brother Torrence. I can't believe she didn't make the screen credits.

After this, the story gets more contrived and silly. Torrence hams up his perpetual drunken stupor over Crawford. Novarro somehow wants to dish off the love of his life in deference to his older brother. After returning home in irons for deserting his brother in a fight he can't convince his father that it is his accuser who has lied. It gets more ridiculous at the very end but the credibility is not there as it is at the beginning of the film.

I won't spoil it. Watch it for yourself.

Overall I still found this film very fun to watch. I loved the acting. I liked all the early scenes. Too bad the last parts didn't carry it at the end.

Not My Cup of Tea But Not Uninteresting

[utgard14 · 5/10 · 5 January 2014]

Odd silent romantic drama starring Ramon Novarro and Joan Crawford. Joel (Ramon) and Priscilla (Joan) have been in love since they were children. But before Ramon can tell her how he feels, his older (and I do mean OLDER) brother Mark (Ernest Torrence) declares his intention to marry Priscilla. Mark's set the whole thing up between his and Priscilla's fathers so Priscilla has no say in the matter and Joel, for whatever reason, won't speak up about it. From there, the whole thing gets weird as Mark and Joel ship off to sea and a series of things happen that I won't spoil, as they are the movie's primary sources of entertainment. Anyway, it's a melodramatic movie that I'm sure will appeal to Novarro fans. I'm not really one of those but I found the movie interesting, if not entirely entertaining. For Joan fans this isn't a strong role for her but completists will want to check it out.

Good if you need to burn some time

[MissSimonetta · 6/10 · 30 May 2014]

Ramon Novarro, Joan Crawford, and Ernest Torrence have all done better work than they accomplish in this 19th century melodrama about two brothers pining after the same woman. The writing is a bit silly and the direction is alright though nothing spectacular.

Joan Crawford and Ernest Torrence's characters are both sympathetic, while Ramon Novarro's hero is too clueless to be taken seriously. The resolution of the love triangle and the fate of the lonely end of said triangle is predictable.

Unless you're a big fan of any of the stars involved, I'd skip this one. The melodrama is too basic to be any fun.

A strange voyage

[TheLittleSongbird · 5/10 · 17 March 2020]

What interested me most into seeing 'Across to Singapore' was seeing Joan Crawford in one of her earliest films. The story did not sound great and reviews are very, very mixed here, but Crawford was a fine actress and it was interesting to see how she was like very early on in her career when she was still learning her craft and not completely found her style. That was true for a lot of actors and actresses though back then and it's always been apparent come to think of it.

'Across to Singapore' intrigues somewhat and it is watchable, with some things done well. It is a pretty strange film though and is more a curio if anything, primarily to be seen if a fan of Crawford and want to see everything she did. Crawford did do much better than 'Across to Singapore' since. Both in regard to performances and overall film quality, for me this was one of not many cases of her being outshone and that is not something said often.

Some of the sets look quite nice, the storm scenes look impressive, and there is the odd exciting set piece such as the climax. Some of the first half is entertaining, partly because of Ramon Novarro's comic timing.

Novarro does very well here, his character is a reckless one in terms of attitude but he portrays him endearingly and not obnoxiously. Ernest Torrence does curmudgeonly with gusto and Anna May Wong is perfectly alluring.

Crawford however is less convincing. Her character is not a particularly meaty one, Crawford was at her best when she had a character that she could sink her teeth into (literally too), and required a lot more subtlety than seen in her quite histrionic interpretation. The direction doesn't really engage and tends to be merely workmanlike and not much more. 'Across to Singapore' started off well, but by the halfway point all the way through to the end it became generally increasingly silly and muddled. One knows even from reading the quite cliched synopsis that it would be pretty predictable and nothing new is done here, this is standard stuff and silly and unfocused standard stuff at that.

The pace lacks energy and in the second half when the film runs out of ideas pretty much it creaks quite badly. The only chemistry to convince is between Novarro and Torrence, bland everywhere else. Some nice sets aside, the production values look pretty primitive. Evident in some disorganised editing and nothing really stands out in the photography either.

Good from curiosity standpoint but not really recommended. 5/10

All the Brothers Were Valiant

[wes-connors · 8/10 · 26 September 2007]

Ramon Novarro (as Joel) is the youngest of the seafaring Shore family. While older brother Ernest Torrence (as Mark) is off on a long voyage, Mr. Novarro falls for fetching Joan Crawford (as Pricilla). Upon returning, Mr. Torrence is revealed to have also fallen for the bewitching Ms. Crawford - and, eventually, the brothers become rivals. Crawford prefers Novarro, but her father "betrothes" her to Torrence. Before their wedded bliss begins, however, the Shore brothers must make a trip to Singapore; it's Novarro's first voyage with older brothers, after proving himself in a barroom brawl. While sailing "Across to Singapore", a fierce storm blasts the Shore brothers' "Nathan Ross" ship - with tragic results…

Actually, this is a version of "All the Brothers Were Valiant". Perhaps the title was changed because one brother clearly dominates (Novarro), and only one other figures prominently (Torrence). Although there are four Shore brothers, you won't see much of the others, valiant or otherwise. It's odd MGM re-made this story in 1928; it was seen relatively recently, in 1923, with Malcolm McGregor, Lon Chaney, and Billie Dove as Joel, Mark, and Pricilla. AND, there was no sound version until 1953, with Robert Taylor, Stewart Granger, and Ann Blyth in the principal roles.

Novarro performs very well, especially enjoy his scene with Crawford, when she boards the ship to bid farewell, before his maiden voyage. It's also one of Crawford's best scenes, and the lower "Nathan Ross" set is beautifully detailed. Anna May Wong also performs very well; though uncredited, she is the best supporting player. Note Ms. May Wong's excellent introduction (during the first trip to Singapore) - she relates her dissatisfaction with her man, and her desire for Mark, with a few simple gestures. May Wong is superb, and should have been included in the film's credits. James Mason (not the later actor) is fine as the villain.

There are some problems with the story. The whole "betrothed" issue is confusing to me, and may be to others. I also don't understand why an experienced sailor like Mark Shore immediately goes below and gets drunk; perhaps, he saw little brother with Crawford earlier on? I wondered how Mark Shore could order a certain character killed, and, seconds later reverse said order. Though a fine actor, I had some trouble accepting Torrence in this role - I expected him to be the villain, due to his other indelible portrayals.

A big MGM production, with a lot of excitement, and a fine cast. The voyages of the "Nathan Ross" are particularly exciting… great storm, and great ending. This is a film that was "saved" in the nick of time, however, and some of the film is sadly deteriorated; happily, it is still enjoyable.

******** Across to Singapore (1928) William Nigh ~ Ramon Novarro, Joan Crawford, Ernest Torrence

When Priscilla fires some sort of musket pistol at . . .

[cricket30 · 6/10 · 18 November 2020]

. . . a mutineer high up in the rigging of the Nathan Ross, the idea that she actually hits her target is as preposterous as if she's just supposed to have back-stroked the broad Pacific from Cape Horn ACROSS TO SINGAPORE. At the height of the mutiny, there seem to be about five dozen malicious miscreants Hell-bent upon slaughtering Priscilla and the pair of Shore brothers at her elbows. This is exactly the sort of predicament for which Bushmasters were invented. It would not be at all implausible for this endangered nautical trio to mow down 60 or 80 bad eggs among their balky crew if they each had this sort of assault rifle, along with a sea chest full of banana clips. After watching this flick, viewers should be in the mood to support their local chapter of BANGS (Broke Americans Need Gun Stamps).

The brothers are rivals

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 25 April 2016]

Across To Singapore is the second of three films that MGM did from the novel All The Brothers Were Valiant. As I did not think all that much of the sound version that Robert Taylor and Stewart Granger did in the 50s, so to I feel this one was up to snuff. I still cannot understand why a sea captain takes his bride on a voyage, the inevitable has to happen people being human.

The protagonist brothers Shore in this version are Ramon Novarro as the youngest and good looking one and the oldest is Ernest Torrence. There are two middle brothers here and they favor more Torrence than Novarro.

The girl the brothers are rivals over is played by Joan Crawford and for flinty New England Yankee types these two brothers get all hot and bothered over Crawford. All the basic plot elements from the novel are there with the rivalry and mutiny at sea. Still this one deviates quite a bit from the story in the first and third versions. The first silent film had Lon Chaney and Billie Dove starring and it's considered lost.

The overall story concept I'm still not crazy about, but the players do fine.

If ship had as many holes as script ...

[morrisonhimself · 5/10 · 24 April 2016]

If the good ship Nathan Ross had had as many holes as the script for "Across to Singapore," it would have sunk before getting out of port.

A very good cast ably directed by William Nigh did its best in a stupid story with very little realism or common sense.

This was a motion picture version of the book "All the Brothers Were Valiant," which was remade under that title, and only slightly better. (See my review here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045494/reviews-8).

Since the two scripts were so different, and since I haven't read the book, I don't know if either really depicts the book.

But the general lack of connection to reality of the two movies makes me not want to read it.

Two reasons, though, to watch "Across to Singapore": Joan Crawford, even in a long dress, looked really good and already showed signs of the talent that would give her a film career longer than her dress; and Anna May Wong, one of the loveliest of Hollywood lovelies, is unbilled here but is very eye-catching and appealing.

Finally, another reason not to watch: On Sunday, 24 April 2016, Silent Sunday Night on Turner Classic Movie presented a really lousy, miserable copy of the film.

Much of it was so burned out it was practically invisible. One of the worst moments was when either an intertitle or perhaps a picture of the ship's log was shown -- except it wasn't: It was just a long sequence of white screen because of the awful print.

"Across to Singapore" is probably more a curiosity than entertainment. It might be worth watching, if you have a LOT of patience and are really interested in seeing these moments in the career of the performers.

And, truth to tell, if you can view a good print, you might even be glad to watch this aspect of Hollywood history.

Save yourself the trip.

[st-shot · 5/10 · 22 January 2014]

Youngest of a seafaring family Joel Shore (Ramon Novarro) pines to travel the seven seas with his brothers. He is also falling for childhood friend Priscilla (Joan Crawford) that oldest brother Mark (Ernest Torrence), captain of his own ship, has designs on with her father's blessing. Priscilla prefers Joel.

Considered too young to ship out he convinces Mark he's got the right stuff after a bar room brawl. They ship out for Singapore where Mark in true sailor fashion finds his girl (Anna Mae Wong) for this particular port. Joel objects, Mark finds out about Priscilla's feelings and the brothers have a falling out with Mark staying behind in Singapore where he begins to dissipate. Joel along with Priscilla decide to go rescue Mark but with a double dealing crew to contend with soon find themselves in dark waters.

From the somewhat savaged print that I watched Singapore is choppy in spots with its plentiful action scenes which are raggedly put together to begin with. There is plenty of graphic bloodletting and Joanie wielding a pair of flintlocks gets to dispatch a scurvy dog from the mainsail but the film mostly plods between the well matched pairing of Novarro and Crawford in scenes together and Ernst Torrence's outbursts which offer up the film's best moments. Across to Singapore is not worth leaving the dock for.

Come Sail The High Seas Of Adventure With Ramon Novarro

[Ron Oliver · 10/10 · 8 October 2001]

Two brothers dream of their love for the same girl back home, while aboard ship sailing ACROSS TO SINGAPORE.

Based on the famous adventure story ‘All The Brothers Were Valiant' by Ben Ames Williams, this is a rousing silent film which features strong action & good acting. The production values are first-rate, as is to be expected from MGM. Although the plot becomes somewhat ludicrous - the hero kidnaps the heroine off to the Orient where they confront a dastardly mutiny - the film is certainly never dull.

Ramon Novarro stars as the youngest son in a sea-faring family of hardy men. (The Studio kept their Mexican star constantly roaming from one ethnic identity to another; here he plays Anglo-Saxon.) Giving a typically robust performance, Novarro is not lacking in the heroics necessary to beguile his audience. It is unfortunate that Novarro's films, silent & sound, with the exception of BEN-HUR (1925), are all but forgotten today.

Big, blustering Ernest Torrence steals more than a scene or two as Novarro's sea captain brother; gruff & gentle by turns, he is indeed valiant. Joan Crawford, early in her film career, is the object of both brothers' affections. Just when she seems a mite too demure, Joan's fire begins to spark; she also proves to be a surprisingly good pistol shot during the mutiny.

Movie mavens will recognize an unbilled Anna May Wong as a Celestial temptress.

Fair Silent

[Michael_Elliott · 1 April 2008]

Across the Singapore (1928)

** (out o f 4)

Two brothers (Ramon Novarro, Ernest Torrence) who work on the sea fall in love with the same woman (Joan Crawford), which leads to tragedy in this silent melodrama. The main reason to watch this film is due to the early performance by Crawford but the rest of the movie offers very little in terms of entertainment. The biggest problem with the movie is that its story is so over dramatic that you can't help but hate each of the characters and in the end you really don't care what happens to them. All films like this are a tad bit over dramatic but this one takes the cake and might be the worst offender. We expect a jealous fit to happen (as they do in all movies like this) but the screenplay here takes it to a crazy, psychotic level that comes off more like a bad comedy more than a drama. Both Novarro and Torrence are good in their roles but the screenplay doesn't really offer them much to do. Crawford is cute in her role but again, the screenplay really doesn't offer her too much except to stand around and look shocked at what the brothers are doing.

Was this supposed to be a Buster Keaton movie?

[ArtVandelayImporterExporter · 4/10 · 26 December 2021]

Two young people grow up best friends. Start to have feelings. Older brother comes back to town and is smitten with the girl. Simple, really.

Problem is, I don't think the film-makers knew whether they were making a comedy or a romantic triangle. Or they just made terrible casting decisions and made up a movie on the fly.

Firstly, we get the youthful hijinks of Ramon Navarro and Joan Crawford. Navarro comes across as a ''punchable brat" and Crawford is already too smokin' hot to be playing the innocent girl. Total mismatch.

But it gets worse. The older brother is played by 50-year-old mug Ernest Torrance.

The only dramatic tension for me is wondering how Crawford got stuck in this dog of a movie.

If the younger brother had been Buster Keaton he could have really sold the comedy bits and Torrance would have fit. Just cast a way-less glamour-girl.

If the older brother had been John Gilbert you would have had a legit triangle and some swashbuckling, to boot.

The other problem is the condition of the print. First half is in great shape, but it soons deteriorates to a point where it looks like it was once a ''lost" movie and someone discovered the final two reels in the wine cellar of some Brazilian film collector.

Visually Splendid!!

[kidboots · 8/10 · 24 January 2018]

Joan Crawford looked stunning in this pretty conventional romantic drama but her life at this time was anything but smooth sailing. She had just finished the abortive "Rose Marie" where the disintergration of James Murray's career due to alcoholism was a lesson that she would remember all her life. As well as that she had met and was having a giddy romance with Douglas Fairbanks Jr. - she wanted to improve herself culturally and Doug made it look so effortless. The culture she was absorbing made her rebel against the romantic programmers she was being given and even though her co-stars were the top male stars of the studio, the movies were not among their better efforts.

This was yet another version of Ben Ames William's "All the Brothers Were Valiant" (he also helped with the script). Joel Shore (played by an almost radiant Ramon Novarro) dreams of the sea and heroic adventures which he shares with beauteous Priscilla (it's wonderful to see a lovely Joan Crawford, just before her breakthrough role in "Our Dancing Daughters") . He is treated like a kid by his older, more robust brothers who are having a rare reunion when each of their boats dock at the same time. Blustering Mark (Ernest Torrance) decides he wants to marry Priscilla and seeing this is in 1857 - the only person who has to consent is her father, poor Priscilla is as shocked as anyone when they stand up in church to announce it!!! Meanwhile Joel, having proved himself in a bar room brawl, has earned his place on the "Nathan Ross" but all is not well on board. Mark realises that he doesn't have Priscilla's love and goes to pieces, the other brother Noah (played by Dan Wolheim, brother of Louis) is swept overboard in a gale and when Mark impulsively makes Joel First Mate, a few of the crew plan a mutiny in Singapore. Next thing, the "Nathan Ross" is returning to port with Mark and Noah marked as "drowned" and Joel in irons because, according to the assumed captain (Mason), he cowardly deserted his brother.

The scenes of the gale are highly dramatic and the ship is magnificent but even though there is a stunning battle on board ship with Novarro chased onto the yardarm as he and the villain fight to the death, the last third of the movie strains credibility. Joel knows Mark is alive somewhere in a Singapore port and, along with an unwilling Priscilla, steals the boat in order to bring Mark back.....

MGM realised they had a screen idol in Ramon Novarro and when most stars at the time were fearing the mike, Novarro, who had kept up his singing tuition throughout the 1920s, was given a new lease of career in the talkers as MGM promoted him in a series of light operettas designed to give him appeal as a Latin Lover singer.

Also in the movie, a beautiful Anna May Wong as a Singapore bar girl - she makes the most of her screen time, you won't forget her!!

Very Recommended.

Lots of "stormy" action

[FISHCAKE · 8/10 · 2 August 1999]

The very poor print being shown on cable and satellite obscures the impact of this raw tale of two brothers who love the same woman. The younger brother is loyal to the older demented one who thinks he has been betrayed. Joan, as the bone of contention, comes off as a saucy lass who can't quite make up her mind until the trouble starts. Look for lots of "stormy" action in this several times remade epic based on Ben Ames Williams' "All the Brothers Were Valiant".

Powerful Story Line as good as Mildred Pierce.

[lavendertraveler · 10/10 · 19 February 2022]

Across to Singapore is vintage Joan Crawford from 1928. The lead, Ramon Novarro, was the bigger star at the time, and he delivers a wonderful performance packed with boyish charm. It's a strong story, of love and betrayal, as intense as Mildred Pierce. Two brothers vie for the love of one woman, played by Joan Crawford, of course. I'm sure she hated her wardrobe, this must have been before she had wardrobe approval, because she's dressed in frilly Scarlett O'Hara hand me downs throughout the picture.

Across to Singapore features some the best shipboard fight scenes ever filmed.

You might not even recognize a young Joan on the poster.

The only surprise is that Ramon Novarro and Joan Crawford were never asked to remake Across to Singapore as a full color talkie.

You can see Across to Singapore on Youtube. It isn't restored, there are many faded spots, but the continuity is good, I don't think anything is missing. It's accompanied by a simple piano soundtrack.

Ramon Novarro is totally miscast!

[JohnHowardReid · 31 December 2017]

Across to Singapore (1928), quite aside from its other imperfections, would in any case rate only 6/10 in my book, due simply to its very extensive nitrate decomposition.

However, whether the print is perfect or a total write-off, in either case pretty boy Ramon Novarro is totally miscast as the lead, although he's not helped by a script in which the characters are forced to dance to the tune of an outrageous plot (which later on was cleverly and expertly doctored for 1953's "All the Brothers Were Valiant"). This present movie version, however, does have its moments of glory, particularly when the alluring Anna May Wong is on-screen.

Joan Crawford is pretty-as-a-picture too, while Ernest Torrence almost manages to make his impossibly vacillating character believable.

William Nigh, whose credits include more than 80 totally undistinguished "B"-movies, does a surprisingly creditable job on "Across to Singapore". Mind you, he did have a no-expense-spared "A" budget at his disposal!