1930 - MEN WITHOUT WOMEN, an early John Ford film.

This John Ford film exists as one of those hybrid sound/silent pictures that Hollywood was making as they made the transition to sound films.

Men Without Women is based on an original story from Ford and the writer James Kevin McGuinness.   The film is about a submarine trapped on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean and efforts of the Navy to rescue the men inside. 

 

With the exception of a lengthy scene set in a bar, the film looks like it was photographed on one or two sets which probably made Fox studios happy.  The acting is typical of an early 30's movie with some of the actors emoting all over the place like they were in a stage play.

 

If the film is notable at all, its probably because it has a couple of people who were associated with John Ford as his career began to take off.  Joseph August was the cameraman and Dudley Nichols was the screenwriter.  Both of these men made significant contributions to Ford's films in the 1930's and 40's.

The running time is 77 minutes.