= Moran_of_the_Lady

======================================================================
= Moran_of_the_Lady_Letty =
======================================================================

Introduction
======================================================================
'Moran of the Lady Letty' is a 1922 American silent adventure drama
film directed by George Melford and stars Rudolph Valentino and
Dorothy Dalton. Melford and Valentino had previously worked together
on the box office hit 'The Sheik', in 1921. The film is based on the
novel of the same name by Frank Norris and was adapted for the screen
by Monte Katterjohn.

Plot
======================================================================
The opening scenes are set in Scandinavia, where a ship's captain and
his daughter, Moran, are introduced. Moran, it is clear, adores her
father. She has grown up on and around ships and can handle herself
on the water as well as any man.

Then scene then shifts to San Francisco, where a young socialite,
Ramon Laredo, complains that he is tired of the same tiresome round of
parties and dances. He wishes he could get away from it all. While
on his way to a yachting party, he meets up with an old sailor. After
talking, they repair to a saloon, where Ramon is served a Mickey Finn.
After passing out, he is shanghaied aboard a nefarious pirating ship,
the "Heart of China," run by Captain Kitchell, a man without
principles. Though initially dismissed as a pampered weakling by the
crew and captain, Ramon proves his manhood and gradually gains
everyone's respect.

A Scandinavian ship in distress is spotted off the bow; the pirate
crew quickly move in to loot the burning ship. Most of the crew, they
discover, is dead, victims of leaking coal gas. Ramon rescues one
sailor, whom he carries back to the pirate ship, only to discover that
"he" is a "she." It is Moran, of course, whose father has perished
aboard the burning ship. Efforts to hide her identify are futile;
when Captain Kitchell discovers a female is on board, it is clear that
the woman's virginity is endangered. Ramon, however, is determined to
protect her. Gradually, Ramon and Moran fall in love, though Moran
insists at first that she has no interest in romance--she should have
been born a boy, she says. After a lively battle on board the
ship--crew vs. captain and his henchmen--the ship reaches the port in
San Diego.

Disembarking, Ramon finds himself at a high-society party attended by
vacationing San Franciscans. They are delighted to see him and urge
him to rejoin their company. But Ramon makes it clear that his
experience of recent months has changed him, has made him a better
man. Confidently, happily, he returns to the ship and to Moran's
waiting arms.

Production, characters
======================================================================
On the heels of 'The Four Horsemen' and 'The Sheik', 'Moran' was
another vehicle to portray a strong, masculine character, here a San
Francisco playboy who is transformed into a "masculine, sun-burned
sailor". In the climax of the movie, Valentino fights the villain
(played by Walter Long, whom Valentino had earlier dealt with in 'The
Sheik') in the ship's rigging. Though the female love interest, Moran,
tells him initially that she is "not made for men", they do kiss in a
happy ending. As did Laredo, so does Moran's character change--from an
independent, sexually ambiguous person to a "more feminine, definitely
heterosexual woman at peace with her estrogen". The choice of Dorothy
Dalton was criticized in a review in 'Variety'. The film was described
in April 1922's edition of 'Photoplay' as "More or less pure hoakum
that you’re almost ashamed of yourself for enjoying. Whether it is the
presence of two sparklers such as Valentino and Dorothy Dalton, or
whether it is the original power of the Frank Norris novel, we don’t
know; but it’s good strong entertainment. Sea stuff; fights; love.
Rodolph as usual; Dorothy with bobbed hair--yum yum!. You’re bound to
like it."

Cast
======================================================================
*Dorothy Dalton - Moran Letty Sternersen
*Charles Brinley - Capt. Eilert Sternersen
*Emil Jorgenson - Nels Larsen
*Rudolph Valentino - Ramon Laredo
*Maude Wayne - Josephine Herrick
*Walter Long - Capt. 'Slippery' Kitchell
*George Kuwa - 'Chopstick' Charlie
*Cecil Holland - Pancho
*William Boyd - Ramon's Friend at Homecoming (uncredited)
*Charles K. French - Tavern Owner (uncredited)
*George O'Brien - Deck Hand (uncredited)
*Charles Stevens - Seaman (uncredited)

Production notes
======================================================================
Parts of the film were shot on location in San Francisco.

Home media
======================================================================
'Moran of the Lady Letty' was released on DVD by Flicker Alley in
2007.

External links
======================================================================
*
*[http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WAaZus4uF6s/TslcZy4r1nI/AAAAAAAAU58/Oexo_Adhj-0/s1600/zmoranlady.jpg
Lobby poster]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFik4-YPOK4 Moran of the Lady Letty]
available on Youtube.com

License
=========
All content on Gopherpedia comes from Wikipedia, and is licensed under CC-BY-SA
License URL: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
Original Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moran_of_the_Lady_Letty