Beau Geste

I was delighted to see Ronald Colman in the first silent that I've had the pleasure to watch him in! The cast is excellent, and the plot device of starting the movie at almost the end of the story, and going back in time to solve the mystery is unusual for the time and well conceived.

The plot revolves around three brothers, their love for each other, and a missing family jewel called "The Blue Water." The jewel is taken at the beginning of the movie, and Colman's character, the eldest Geste brother, Michael (Beau), is believed to be the culprit. The mystery of who took the priceless jewel and why, is solved as the story slowly unfolds with each brother joining the French Foreign Legion.

The desert shooting in this film is supposed to be some of the best ever photographed and the director, Herbert Brenon manages the Legionaries and Arabs treks across the desert splendidly! A fine cast with Neil Hamilton (Digby Geste), Ralph Forbes (John Geste), Alice Joyce (Lady Patricia Brandon), Noah Berry (Sgt. Lejaune), and William Powell (Boldini) go all out! This film is silent film making at it's best and rarely misses a beat! It will keep your attention from start to finish and is one of those films that must be watched closely in order not to miss out on the plot development and fine nuances of the characters.

I haven't yet viewed the remake with Gary Cooper, but it apparently follows almost verbatim with the original, which is the greatest of compliments!

If you're a fan of the 1939 William Wellman version of Beau Geste, then do yourself a BIG favor and rent the 1926 film starring Ronald Colman. I was shocked by the similarities in style and composition between both films; it almost seems as if Wellman was making an homage to the earlier film which, by the way, he was up for but didn't get the job to direct. In any case, there are some different twists to the story which make it very enjoyable to watch even if you're already familiar with the story. Fantastic locations and set designs.

Beau Geste begins at the end when a group from the French Foreign Legion find a post in the desert guarded by dead bodies which soon go up in smoke mysteriously. Flash to the childhood of some of the soldiers. Three little boys and one girl stage a viking funeral while playing war with toy boats. We see them grow up into fine young men (Ronald Colman, Neil Hamilon, and Ralph Forbes) and women (Mary Brian) who are as close as can be. Then, crisis when a family jewel is stolen and one of the boys is guilty of the crime. To avoid shame, they all enlist in the Foreign Legion, a childhood dream realized. There, they find that service is filled with tough sergeants (Noah Beery) and criminals (William Powell).

None of the characters have quite enough time to become quite endearing as individuals, but the mysteriousness of the opener makes the film enjoyable to watch. However, audiences are greeted with many familiar and competent actors. Don't worry though; the ending is very satisfying.

First, the original novel by P.C. Wren is about the most exciting book I've ever read. Though it's generally considered adventure fantasy for adolescent boys, and I was a thirtysomething woman when I got around to reading it, I really couldn't put it down. HOW did all those Legionnaires stand at Fort Zinderneuf? Who stole the Blue Water? And of course I have had a major crush on Ronald Colman since my teens, so I had to buy the movie (on VHS, alas). But I love Gary Cooper, too. Which version to choose? Well, anybody but a Frenchman can join the Foreign Legion, but seeing Cooper and Robert Preston (love him, too) in this very English story just doesn't seem to work. Maybe Cary Grant should have done it.

I'm guessing that if you mention Beau Geste to film fans the 1939 version with Gary Cooper, Robert Preston, and Ray Milland is the one that comes to mind most readily. But this version with Ronald Colman in the title role and Ralph Forbes and Neil Hamilton as the other Geste brothers is the first, the original, and has a whole lot going for it. It holds up well even as a silent film for today's audience. One of the things I liked about it was some of the dialog on screen attributed to Colman's character. As Ronald Colman had one of the great voices in the English speaking world the words he was given fit his heroic English character so well that we came to know when the talkies arrived.

With only minor variations the story from the 1939 version is what you see here so if you've seen that you know what to expect. The Geste boys are all suspected of stealing a precious family jewel and all enlist in the Foreign Legion to cover up the disgrace of the one they think might have stolen the gem.

Once there the brothers fall afoul of the sadistic Sergeant Lejaune played by perennial villain Noah Beery. William Powell who was one of Ronald Colman's best friends in Hollywood plays the sneak informer Boldini who learns of the purloined jewel and inflames Beery with the tale. Powell who also had impeccable diction was playing mostly villains due to his swarthy complexion. His career like Colman's was enhanced when talkies came in.

The film is every bit as exciting as when it was first released in 1926 and holds up very well for today's audiences. All it lacks are the great speaking voices of Colman and Powell.