''Hearts in Bondage'' is a 1936 American black-and-white

war drama In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-gen ...

film directed by

Lew Ayres Lewis Frederick Ayres III (December 28, 1908 – December 30, 1996) was an American actor whose film and television career spanned 65 years. He is best known for starring as German soldier Paul Bäumer in the film '' All Quiet on the Western Fr ...

for

Republic Pictures Republic Pictures Corporation (currently held under Melange Pictures, LLC) was an American motion picture production-distribution corporation in operation from 1935 to 1967, that was based in Los Angeles. It had studio facilities in Studio City an ...

. Set during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, the film depicts the

Union Navy ), (official) , colors = Blue and gold , colors_label = Colors , march = , mascot = , equipment = , equipment_label ...

's deliberate sinking of , the

Confederate States Navy The Confederate States Navy (CSN) was the Navy, naval branch of the Confederate States Armed Forces, established by an act of the Confederate States Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the Amer ...

's salvage and refitting of the ship as the

ironclad An ironclad is a steam engine, steam-propelled warship protected by Wrought iron, iron or steel iron armor, armor plates, constructed from 1859 to the early 1890s. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships ...

CSS ''Virginia'', the Union Navy's development of the ironclad to counter ''Virginia'', and the subsequent engagement of the two vessels in the

Battle of Hampton Roads The Battle of Hampton Roads, also referred to as the Battle of the ''Monitor'' and ''Virginia'' (rebuilt and renamed from the USS ''Merrimack'') or the Battle of Ironclads, was a naval battle during the American Civil War. It was fought over t ...

. It also features many historical characters, including United States President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

, Secretary of the Navy

Gideon Welles Gideon Welles (July 1, 1802 – February 11, 1878), nicknamed "Father Neptune", was the United States Secretary of the Navy from 1861 to 1869, a cabinet post he was awarded after supporting Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 election. Although opposed ...

, and Confederate States President

Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as a ...

. The fictional plot, starring James Dunn,

Mae Clarke Mae Clarke (born Violet Mary Klotz; August 16, 1910 – April 29, 1992) was an American actress. She is widely remembered for playing Henry Frankenstein's bride Elizabeth, who is chased by Boris Karloff in ''Frankenstein'', and for being o ...

, and

David Manners David Joseph Manners (born Rauff de Ryther Duan Acklom; April 30, 1900 – December 23, 1998) was a Canadian-American actor who plays John Harker in Tod Browning's 1931 horror classic '' Dracula'', which stars Bela Lugosi in the title role.Pac ...

, pits two friends and future brothers-in-law on opposite sides of the North–South conflict, dividing their families and threatening their survival. ''Hearts in Bondage'' is notable as a rare example of a Hollywood film to depict the

naval battles of the American Civil War The naval battles of the American Civil War, fought between the Union and the Confederacy, changed the foundations of naval warfare with the first use of ironclads and submarines, and the introduction of newer and more powerful naval artillery. ...

Plot

Lieutenant Kenneth Reynolds and his good friend, fellow naval officer Raymond Jordan, go ice-skating with their girls in anticipation of being called to war. Reynolds' beau, Constance (Connie) Jordan, who is Raymond's sister, accepts Kenneth's marriage proposal. Meanwhile, at a government war council discussing the secession of six Southern states to form the Confederacy, two officials from

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

are asked to declare their loyalty to the Union. Captain Buchanan resigns from the Navy to join the Confederates, while Commodore Jordan remains. A similar loyalty test confronts Raymond, who does not want to be separated from his fiancée, Captain Buchanan's daughter Julie, and leaves to join the Confederates in Virginia. Kenneth decides to stay with the Union and is put in charge of . When the ship is attacked by Confederate troops at

Gosport Navy Yard The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships. It is the oldest and largest industrial facility tha ...

, Kenneth receives orders to burn the ship, but defies the orders and sinks the vessel to save the hull and engines. He is

court-martial A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...

ed and

dishonorably discharged A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. Each country's military has different types of discharge. They are generally based on whether the persons completed their training and the ...

from the Union Navy. He cannot find another job because everyone considers him a traitor, so he goes to help his uncle

John Ericsson John Ericsson (born Johan Ericsson; July 31, 1803 – March 8, 1889) was a Swedish-American inventor. He was active in England and the United States. Ericsson collaborated on the design of the railroad steam locomotive ''Novelty'', which com ...

complete his new design of USS ''Monitor'', an

ironclad warship An ironclad is a steam-propelled warship protected by iron or steel armor plates, constructed from 1859 to the early 1890s. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships to explosive or incendiary shells. T ...

. The Union learns that the Confederates have salvaged ''Merrimack'' and refitted her in iron as the CSS ''Virginia''. Kenneth encourages his uncle to submit to the government his design of the ironclad ''Monitor'', which features a unique revolving

gun turret A gun turret (or simply turret) is a mounting platform from which weapons can be fired that affords protection, visibility and ability to turn and aim. A modern gun turret is generally a rotatable weapon mount that houses the crew or mechani ...

. Though the Navy has accepted the plans of Bushnell, another shipbuilder, Commodore

David G. Farragut David Glasgow Farragut (; also spelled Glascoe; July 5, 1801 – August 14, 1870) was a flag officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first rear admiral, vice admiral, and admiral in the United States Navy. ...

smooths things over and helps everyone see that the ''Monitor'' is a better choice to engage in battle with the enemy. Not enough volunteers answer the call to man ''Monitor'', so Kenneth is accepted despite his dishonorable discharge. Meanwhile, Raymond has been named third in command on the CSS ''Virginia''. When Connie finds out that Kenneth will be fighting against her brother, she is unable to forgive him. Though Kenneth still wants to be with her, he must fulfill the call of duty. The

finds ''Virginia'' attacking and sinking and in the harbor. The next day, ''Virginia'' approaches and ''Monitor'' engages it in battle. Lieutenant Worden is wounded and Kenneth is put in charge of the second gun. After further exchange of gunfire, Raymond suggests that ''Virginia'' pull up alongside ''Monitor'' and

board Board or Boards may refer to: Flat surface * Lumber, or other rigid material, milled or sawn flat ** Plank (wood) ** Cutting board ** Sounding board, of a musical instrument * Cardboard (paper product) * Paperboard * Fiberboard ** Hardboard, a ty ...

it. Through the

gun hole An embrasure (or crenel or crenelle; sometimes called gunhole in the domain of gunpowder-era architecture) is the opening in a battlement between two raised solid portions (merlons). Alternatively, an embrasure can be a space hollowed out ...

, Kenneth sees Raymond approaching at the head of the boarding party and is distraught that he must kill him, but orders his men to fire both guns. The boarding party is repulsed and ''Virginia'' backs off. After he returns to civilian life with an honorable discharge, Kenneth tries to renew his relationship with Connie, who is grief-stricken over her brother's death. The two meet President

on their walk by the

Potomac River The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augus ...

, and the president encourages them to pursue a future of peace. Connie is comforted and resolves to renew her relationship with Kenneth.

Cast

* James Dunn as Lieutenant Kenneth Reynolds *

as Constance Jordan *

as Raymond Jordan *

Charlotte Henry Charlotte Virginia Henry (March 3, 1914 – April 11, 1980) was an American actress who is best remembered for her roles in '' Alice in Wonderland'' (1933) and '' Babes in Toyland'' (1934). She also starred in the Frank Buck serial ''Jun ...

as Julie Buchanan *

Henry B. Walthall Henry Brazeale Walthall (March 16, 1878 – June 17, 1936) was an American stage and film actor. He appeared as the Little Colonel in D. W. Griffith's ''The Birth of a Nation'' (1915). Early life Henry B. Walthall was born March 16, 1878 on a ...

as Captain Buchanan *

Fritz Leiber, Sr. Fritz Reuter Leiber Sr. (January 31, 1882 – October 14, 1949) was an American actor. A Shakespearean actor on stage, he also had a successful career in film. He was the father of science fiction and fantasy writer Fritz Leiber Jr., who was a ...

as Captain

* George Irving as Commodore Jordan *

Irving Pichel Irving Pichel (June 24, 1891 – July 13, 1954) was an American actor and film director, who won acclaim both as an actor and director in his Hollywood career. Career Pichel was born to a Jewish family in Pittsburgh. He attended Pittsburgh Cent ...

as Secretary of the Navy

J.M. Kerrigan Joseph Michael Kerrigan (16 December 1884 – 29 April 1964) was an Irish actor. Early life Joseph Michael Kerrigan was born on 16 December 1884 in Dublin, which was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland at that time. H ...

as Paddy Callahan * Frank McGlynn Sr. as

* Ben Alexander as Eggleston *

Oscar Apfel Oscar C. Apfel (January 17, 1878 – March 21, 1938) was an American film actor, director, screenwriter and producer. He appeared in more than 160 films between 1913 and 1939, and also directed 94 films between 1911 and 1927. Biography Apf ...

as Captain Gilman *

Clay Clement Clay Clement (May 19, 1888 – October 20, 1956) was an American stage, film, and TV actor. He appeared in more than 80 films between 1918 and 1947. Clement was one of the earliest members of the Screen Actors Guild.Worden *

Edward Gargan Edward Gargan (July 17, 1902 – February 19, 1964) was an American film and television actor. Career He was born of Irish parents in Brooklyn, New York. He was the elder brother of actor William Gargan. As soon as he had left college, he we ...

as 'Mac' McPherson *

Russell Hicks Edward Russell Hicks (June 4, 1895 – June 1, 1957) was an American film character actor. Hicks was born in 1895 in Baltimore, Maryland. During World War I, he served in the U.S. Army in France. He later became a lieutenant Colonel in the Cali ...

as Senator Pillsbury *

George "Gabby" Hayes George Francis "Gabby" Hayes (7 May 1885 – 9 February 1969) was an American actor. He began as something of a leading man and a character player, but he was best known for his numerous appearances in B-Western film series as the bewhiskered, c ...

as Ezra * Douglas Wood as Commodore

Bodil Rosing Bodil Rosing (born Bodil Frederikke Hammerich; December 27, 1877 December 31, 1941) was a Danish-American film actress in the silent and sound eras. Early years Bodil Hammerich was born in Copenhagen, the daughter of music dean Angel Hammeri ...

as Mrs. Adams *

Erville Alderson Erville Alderson (September 11, 1882 – August 4, 1957) was an American character actor, usually portraying strong-willed or wise men. He appeared in nearly 200 films between 1918 and 1957. Life Alderson was born in Kansas City, Missouri. He ...

*John Hyams as Bushnell *

Etta McDaniel Etta McDaniel (December 1, 1890January 13, 1946) was an American actress who appeared in over 60 films between 1933 and 1946. She was the sister of actor Sam McDaniel and actress and Academy Award winner Hattie McDaniel. Early life McDaniel ...

as Mammy *

Warner Richmond Warner Richmond (born Werner Paul Otto Raetzmann; January 11, 1886 – June 19, 1948) was an American stage and film actor. He began his career as a stock theatre actor and appeared in films in both the silent film and sound eras. His career spa ...

as Bucko *

Lloyd Ingraham Lloyd Chauncey Ingraham (November 30, 1874 – April 4, 1956) was an American film actor and director. Biography Born in Rochelle, Illinois, Ingraham appeared in more than 280 films between 1912 and 1950, as well as directing more than 100 f ...

as Timekeeper *

Ethan Laidlaw Ethan Allen Laidlaw (November 25, 1899 – May 25, 1963) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 350 films and made more than 500 appearances on television, mainly uncredited in Westerns, between 1923 and 1962. Laidlaw was bor ...

as Seaman (uncredited)

Production

James Dunn, Lew Ayres, and Mae Clarke on set of Hearts in Bondage, 1936 (front) (cropped)

Development

As a

genre Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...

, the

had receded from Hollywood filmmaking after World War I; Stokes counts less than a dozen films on the subject in the 1920s and 1930s, with ''

Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Wind may also refer to: Music * ''Gone with the Wind'' ...

'' being the only box-office success. Films depicting naval battles of the war have been rare. Thomas notes that ''Hearts in Bondage'' was the first film to depict an American Civil War naval battle since the 1914

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

''The Southerners''. The film was produced under the working title ''The Glory Parade''. The screenplay by Bernard Schubert,

Olive Cooper Olivette "Olive" Cooper (1892–1987 was a prolific American screenwriter known for movies like ''Cocoanut Grove (film), Cocoanut Grove'', ''Bandit King of Texas'', and ''Three Little Sisters''. She wrote many of the screenplays for Roy Rogers a ...

, and Karl Brown was adapted from an original story by

Wallace MacDonald Wallace Archibald MacDonald (5 May 1891 – 30 October 1978) was a Canadian silent film actor and film producer. Biography MacDonald was born in Mulgrave, Nova Scotia, Canada, and attended school in Sydney, Nova Scotia. He started as a mess ...

. Lt. Franklyn Adreon, USMC (credited onscreen as Andreon) served as technical supervisor. This was the only film directed by actor

. Ayres had negotiated with

to star in two of their films in return for allowing him to direct one. The two Republic films in which he starred were ''

The Leathernecks Have Landed ''The Leathernecks Have Landed'' is a 1936 American adventure film directed by Howard Bretherton and written by Seton I. Miller. The film stars Lew Ayres, Isabel Jewell, James Ellison, James Burke, J. Carrol Naish and Clay Clement. The film wa ...

'' (1936) and ''

King of the Newsboys ''King of the Newsboys'' is a 1938 American film directed by Bernard Vorhaus. Plot Jerry Flynn's girlfriend leaves him for a gangster with power and money, in order to show her that she made a mistake, Jerry starts his newspaper distribution ...

'' (1938). A title card at the start of the film provides this dedication:

This is a story of ships and men – iron ships and men of iron – the monitors of liberty. To the first ''Monitor'' of them all, to the gallant men who fought for and against her, this picture is respectfully dedicated.

Casting

James Dunn had broken his seven-year studio contract with

Fox Film The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American Independent film production studio formed by William Fox (1879–1952) in 1915, by combining his earlier Greater New York Film Rental Company and Box Office Attractions Film C ...

in 1935. He signed a two-picture deal with Republic in 1936, with ''Hearts in Bondage'' being his first starring turn. Frank McGlynn Sr., who plays President

, first portrayed the president in the 1918 play ''

'' by John Drinkwater; he would go on to portray Lincoln in a total of seven Hollywood films. With a cast of "72 important speaking parts", the production also employed more than 1,000 extras in period costume.

Filming

Filming took place from March 16 to early April 1936. A 1936 news item noted that the production used 84 different studio sets for the film's 356 scenes. Nearly half of these sets were exterior stages set up for action sequences. An article in the trade journal ''Refrigeration Engineering'' described the refrigerated sound stage used for the ice-skating scene, which required more than 85 tons of refrigeration to offset the heat of the arc lights needed for filming. An "ice slinger" produced authentic-looking ice and snow that "drifts, packs, whirls in a breeze and can be made into real snowballs". Fine river sand was laid directly on the floor and covered with ice-cold water to produce a smooth skating surface. The actors' breath is plainly visible in the low-temperature environment. Dunn reportedly engaged in

figure skating Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are me ...

to keep warm between takes on the 22 °F set. The naval battles were staged using scale models constructed by the studio's special-effects team under the direction of

Bud Thackery Ellis J. "Bud" Thackery (January 31, 1903 – July 15, 1990) was an American cinematographer who spent the bulk of his film career at Republic Pictures before successfully transitioning to television. His first credit as a director of photogra ...

Release

''Hearts in Bondage'' was released on August 15, 1936. The film's runtime was later cut from 72 minutes to 54 minutes for television release.

Critical reception

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

's ''Daily News'' gave the film three stars, describing it as "vivid and arresting, if not completely authentic". It noted that there is no historical record of a Kenneth Reynolds assisting

in his design of the USS ''Monitor'', but it appreciated the "sentimentality" which this plot device contributes to the story. ''The Oklahoma News'' called the film "one of the better dips into Civil War history as a gesture toward modern cinema pleasure". It explained that supporters of both the North and South would leave the film thinking that their side won due to "the triumph of diplomacy and photography". This review called the battle scenes generally accurate historically, aside from the sailors standing on the deck of the ''Minnesota'' cheering for the ''Monitor'' during the fight. An

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

news item commended the "unexpectedly good" on-screen action, though it felt the film was "handicapped by an unexciting title". Contemporary reviews praised the battle scenes but were lukewarm on the fictional elements. In his 1996 book ''The Blue and the Gray on the Silver Screen'', Kinnard writes:

''Hearts in Bondage'' contains some capable artists, a plot that sometimes intrigues, plenty of production and numerous actionful moments. And yet it never jells as a gripping picture except possibly in its naval battle episodes. ... This will be labeled as a historical costume picture, and possibly the weakest of the current crop.

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...

'', which gives the film 2 out of 5 stars, writes off the non-historical sequences as "a standard soap opera plot". ''

AllMovie AllMovie (previously All Movie Guide) is an online database with information about films, television programs, and screen actors. , AllMovie.com and the AllMovie consumer brand are owned by RhythmOne. History AllMovie was founded by popular-cult ...

'', which gives the film out of 5 stars, asserts that Dunn and Clarke are both miscast. It does, however, laud director Ayres, who "performs miracles on a tiny budget", and the special-effects team, led by Howard and Theodore Lydecker, who constructed the scale models of the ironclads used in the "exciting and convincing" battle scenes. Reinhart opines that while Frank McGlynn Sr. provides a close likeness to

, his scenes fall short because they are not based on historical fact.

Legacy

Republic Pictures contributed footage from the battle scenes between CSS ''Virginia'' and USS ''Monitor'', as well as scenes relating to the start of the Civil War, for inclusion in the 1939 documentary '' Land of Liberty''. The 1991 television movie ''

Ironclads An ironclad is a steam-propelled warship protected by iron or steel armor plates, constructed from 1859 to the early 1890s. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships to explosive or incendiary shells. Th ...

'', produced by

Ted Turner Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III (born November 19, 1938) is an American entrepreneur, television producer, media proprietor, and philanthropist. He founded the Cable News Network (CNN), the first 24-hour United States cable news, cable news ch ...

, also depicts the battle between ''Virginia'' and ''Monitor''.

Citations

General sources

* * * * * * * *

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hearts In Bondage 1936 films 1936 drama films 1936 directorial debut films 1930s war drama films 1930s historical films American black-and-white films American historical films American war drama films American Civil War naval films Depictions of Abraham Lincoln on film Films set in New York City Films set in Virginia Films set in Washington, D.C. Films set in 1861 Films set in 1862 Films produced by Nat Levine Republic Pictures films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films