''Mother Machree'' is a 1928 American silent

drama film 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-g ...

, directed by

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

, based on the 1924 work ''The Story of Mother Machree'' by

Rida Johnson Young Rida Johnson Young (February 28, 1875 – May 8, 1926) was an American playwright, songwriter and librettist.IBDBRida Johnson Young Retrieved November 21, 2007 In her career, Young wrote over thirty plays and musicals, and over 500 songs. She ...

about a poor Irish immigrant in America. Rida Johnson Young had invented Mother Machree in the stage show ''Barry of Ballymoore'' in 1910.

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...

had a minor role in the film.

Cast

Production

The production of the film was a protracted one, the film was originally announced by Fox publicity in June 1926 with filming slated for that September. In November, it was announced that it would be premiered on December 12, 1926, tying in with the marketing campaign of the music and discs of the title song, however its release was ultimately delayed, since Fox had plans to release it with a Movietone synchronised music score and sound effects track.

Release

In May 1927, it was privately previewed at a Fox sales convention in Atlantic City, along with ''Sunrise'' and ''7th Heaven'' (1927) as a showcase of the new Movietone process, and that September a silent version was previewed at the Astoria Theatre in London. By the beginning of 1928, the delays were amounting to around $750,000, and its release was deferred until January 22, 1928 when it was premiered at the Globe Theatre in New York, its delay owing to the release schedule of the Fox Movietone features. The film is also notable for containing the first synchronous sound sequence using the Movietone process in a feature film, a short scene featuring Brian McHugh ( Neil Hamilton) singing the title song "Mother Machree," which featured in the original stage show.

Preservation

Only four

reels A reel is an object around which a length of another material (usually long and flexible) is wound for storage (usually hose are wound around a reel). Generally a reel has a cylindrical core (known as a '' spool'') with flanges around the ends ...

out of seven of this movie survive. Incomplete prints exist (reels one, two and five) in the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

film archive; and in the

UCLA Film and Television Archive The UCLA Film & Television Archive is a visual arts organization focused on the preservation, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Also a nonprofit exhibition venue, the archiv ...

film archive (reels two, five and seven); reels three, four and six are presumed los
.

References

External links