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Conquest (1928 film)
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Wikipedia article
'Conquest' (aka 'The Candle in the Wind') is a 1928 American aviation drama film, based on the short story 'Conquest' by Mary Imlay Taylor. The film was made using the Vitaphone sound process.Liebman 2003, p. 202.
'Conquest' was directed by Roy Del Ruth, starring Monte Blue, H.B. Warner and Lois Wilson. The film is a melodrama about an aircraft crash in Antarctica.[http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/C/Conquest1928.html "Data: 'Conquest'."] 'silentera.com', 2019. Retrieved: June 30, 2019.
'Conquest' is now considered a lost film.[https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/3427 "Catalog: 'Conquest'."] 'The AFI Catalog of Feature Films 1893-1993', 2019. Retrieved: June 30, 2019.
Plot
Two pilots, James Farnham (H.B. Warner) and Donald Overton (Monte Blue) are in love with the same girl, Diane Holden (Lois Wilson ). Attempting to fly an aircraft to the South Pole, the pair run into trouble, tumbling out of control, and crashing in the Antarctic wastelands. Donald's leg is broken, and is left to die by James, whose motives are suspect. He can now have Diane all to himself.
Rescued by the crew of a whaler, Donald is injured but survives. When he recovers, he vows vengeance on the man who left him to die. Returning home, James has proposed and marries Diane, Donald's former fiance.
Now, scarred and crazed, Donald searches out Dianne and James. Donald persuades William Holden (Edmund Breese), Diane's father, the sponsor of the first flight, to finance another flight to Antarctica.
The same crew is resurrected but again the two pilots crash, and this time James is injured, unable to move because of a broken leg. Donald cannot bring himself to leave him, and together they make their way to safety.
On the way back to civilization, James asks Donald's forgiveness and then kills himself, freeing Donald to find happiness with Diane.
Cast
* Monte Blue as Donald Overton
* H.B. Warner as James Farnham
* Lois Wilson as Diane Holden
* Edmund Breese as William Holden
* Tully Marshall as Dr. Gerry
Production
Original pre-production work was on a film project entitled 'The Candle in the Wind', that was subsequently changed to 'Conquest'. Highly influenced by public awareness of Antarctic aerial exploration by Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, 'Conquest' was one of a number of aviation films about Antarctica flights, that were released, including 'With Byrd at the South Pole' (1930) and 'The Lost Zeppelin' (1929).Paris 1995, p. 110. Principal photography on 'Conquest' began on July 30, 1928. To recreate the aircraft used on the Antarctic flight, an "elaborate full-scale Fokker tri-motor mockup" was constructed.Farmer 1984, p. 300.
Reception
Aviation film historian Stephen Pendo, in 'Aviation in the Cinema' (1985) characterized 'Conquest' as a typical early "talkie" with a heavy reliance on dialogue, with as much as 70 percent of the film taken up by conversations.Pendo 1985, pp. 10, 274.
Preservation status
'Conquest' is considered a lost film.[http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.mbrs.sfdb.4411/default.html "American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog:'Conquest'."] 'The Library of Congress/FIAF', 2019. Retrieved: June 30, 2019.Andersen, Arne.[http://www.silentsaregolden.com/arnewarner.html "Lost Warner Brothers films of 1928: 'Conquest' ."] 'Arne Andersen's Lost Film Files', 2019. Retrieved: June 30, 2019.References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
* Farmer, James H. 'Celluloid Wings: The Impact of Movies on Aviation' (1st ed.). Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania: TAB Books 1984. .
* Liebman, Roy. 'Vitaphone Films: A Catalogue of the Features and Shorts'. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, 2003. .
* Paris, Michael. 'From the Wright Brothers to Top Gun: Aviation, Nationalism, and Popular Cinema.' Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 1995. .
* Pendo, Stephen. 'Aviation in the Cinema'. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1985. .
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