Hi there,

I found this tidbit online.  It describes William.K. Everson's viewing
of the 1929 Isle of Lost Ships...

The Theodore Huff Memorial Film Society
March 15, 1960
ISLE OF LOST SHIPS      (First National) Dir: Irvin Willatt

    With Jason Robards, Virginia Valli, Noah Beery, Robert Emmett
O'Connor. One reel.

A remake of Maurice Tourneur's older Milton Sills vehicle (of 1923 -
and how we'd like to see that one!), this Isle of Lost Ships was one
of the early sound on disc films on which the discs have been
apparently lost. Thus it isn't likely to turn up on television. It's
grand adventure stuff, fast moving, and with nothing about it to
suggest that it was a talkie. Director Willatt (whose The Storm and
The Michigan Kid we've also run this year) kept his cameras on the
move, and his action lively. The narration is the least successful of
producer-editor Robert Youngson's essays in this direction and there
are just too many gags; but the matching of music and effects are
extremely well done, and the condensation itself is a first-rate job,
getting in both the spirit and the highlights of the original nine
reels.

Me again....

The film was released as both silent and talkie.

Q1: Now, there is a version (silent) held at the LOC. So, it seems
like there is/was some other footage of the film (condensed, without
sound discs), no? Or am I missing something? Would anyone know the
location of such a print today?

Q2: Does anyone know more Youngson's involvement in this? i.e.What was
its purpose? I've never run across any other reference.

Q3: How much would the footage of the talkie differ from the silent
release in any event? I would imagine that some of the scenes would be
identical such as the ocean scenes, the shots of the ships, etc.  But
would they have taken the scenes where actual acting was going on,
merely "turn off" the sound and add title cards?

Any help appreciated.

Thanks,

Steve Joyce