THE BLUE EAGLE
Starring George O'Brien, Janet Gaynor and William Russell
HARRISON'S REPORTS
September 18, 1926
Where the men predominate in a theatre's patronage or where strong melodrama are liked, "The Blue Eagle" ought to give very good satisfaction; it is full of action, human interest, and keeps the spectator in suspense from the beginning to the end. The story, too, is different from the usual run of melodramas. The scenes on board the military transport, where the hero and his rival were firemen, showing the explosion of the boiler and the hero's and his pal's efforts to save the lives of the other firemen are thrilling, even though the explosion has not been done so well. The situation showing the hero after the end of the war returning home and finding his brother a victim of the drug habit is indeed pathetic, particularly where the hero attempts to give his brother courage by assuring him that they will fight together to cure him of the drug habit. The efforts of the priest to reconcile the hero and his friend who both loved the same girl, so that they might not be fighting, cause a few laughs. There are many interest-arousing incidents all the way through he picture, including a submarine, supposedly owned by smugglers of opium, which submarine the hero, assisted by his pal and other friends, blows up with its crew. An end is thus put to its mission of misery.
The story has been written by Gerald Beaumont and has been
directed by John Ford ably. Janet Gaynor, as the heroine, has
not been given a big part; but whatever she has been given, she
has handled well. She is petite and sympathy winning. George O'Brien
fits the role of the hero extremely well. William Russell, as
the hero's rival, does good work, too.
who has seemed to be waiting for nothing but an opportunity, finds
it here in the role of a half-breed girl; passionate and untamable.
She is hardly second in interest to the star himself.