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Our Navy
(1918) United States of America
Color : Twelve reels
Directed by George A. Dorsey
Cast: (unknown)
Prizma, Incorporated, production; distributed by [?] Prizma, Incorporated? / Released January 1918. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format. Prizmacolor two-color color film process. / The film was rereleased in the USA (at eight reels) in June 1918.
Documentary.
Synopsis: [The Moving Picture World, 19 January 1918, page ?] The most complete series of pictures of our navy that have yet been presented to the public, and also the most attractive for the reason that they are projected in natural colors, are those which have been running for the past two weeks at the 44th Street theater. Prizma. Inc., a firm which is slowly but surely stepping forward into the front ranks of educational motion picture photography, is responsible for them. “Our Navy” tells us on the screen all that there is to know about that great American institution, second largest of its kind in the world. It shows us how thorough is the training given our boys of the navy and their officers. Target practice, in which they learn to be proficient in the use of the pistol and rifle, reminds us that the manipulation of big guns, which is a matter of crews and not of individuals, is not all that the navy man must know of firearms. Scenes at the Annapolis Academy are especially interesting. Then there is the getting ready for sea, which includes the making of big guns. And, by the way, the latter subject presented by Prizma affords a real spectacle — the draining of molten metal from the furnaces, for instance, or the drilling of the metal plates by various methods. The speeding up of the navy yards where we witness the actual building of dry docks and the dry-docking of battleships are points of special interest. The emptying of the dry dock allows the scraping of the ship below water line to relieve it of its burden of barnacles or other sea infection, and also repainting “with non-corrosive paint.” Finally restored to ship-shape, the dread-naught is towed forth from the re-flooded dry dock and set free for another cruise. The inspection of the battleship fleet is an impressive sight. And one of the most interesting features of this group of pictures is the armored hydroplane cruiser fleet, showing the catapulting of hydroplanes from an armored cruiser. This is made possible by means of a track and movable platform, which later accompanies the hydroplane on its leap from the cruiser, when it drops into the water and is hoisted back into place again to await the replacing of the machine on its return. Other interesting illustrations show the launching of torpedoes, the manipulation of anti-aircraft guns, the clearing of the decks for action, turret salvos and fleet-firing from 14-inch guns. Reproductions of famous paintings of prominent figures in our naval history, and also of famous old battleships, including the “Constellation,” were thrown on the screen in the course of the presentation. As a further exploitation of the fitness of the Prizma method of photography and projection, the first part of the program consisted of pictures of the Black-feet Indians in Glacier National Park, and some truly remarkable views of the Hawaiian volcano Kilauea. The pictures of the navy were made under the direction of Dr. George A. Dorsey.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Keywords: Color cinematography
Listing updated: 8 April 2024.
References: Website-AFI; Website-IMDb.
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