robinakaaly A Pacific drama of the Blue Lagoon school, the story is no more far fetched than most, and the acting style has to be seen in the context of what was expected at the time, not least in terms of helping the audience understand the plot. The use of flash-back was well handled, and one or two shots were technically brilliant, like the vertiginous view down to the ship's deck from the crow's nest. Some of the sea-going sequences were could induce mal-de-mer, and gave a realistic impression of sailing ships of the time, and the hardy life of whalers. The story itself is many stranded and generally well handled, with some decent performances from the principals, despite excessive religiosity towards the end. A sea-brother to Captain Ahab runs his ship with an iron fist. A sailor looking forward to seeing his baby reminds the captain of his own unhappy past when his wife deserted him for another man. Back in Frisco the ne'er-do-well son a wealthy man is disowned by his father, who has had to pay off a gold-digger of a fiancée (after some interesting high-life scenes). Out to prove himself, the son signs on the whaler, where he learns the meaning of hard and dangerous work. Becalmed, the ship runs short of water, and the sailors mutiny when the captain takes more than his share. However, the son rescues him, but is hardly thanked for his pains. They sight an island inhabited by a shipwrecked sailor and a sixteen year old girl, whose mother survived the wreck, gave birth then subsequently died. The captain takes on these passengers, provided they work their passage. When he discovers that the girl's mother was his wife, he takes against her assuming her father to be the other man. He is about to beat her again when a whale is sighted, and a boat lowered. To protect her, the girl is hidden in the boat, but the captain sees this, and when a storm comes up, he leaves the boat and its crew to their fate. Back in his cabin he discovers the girl's Bible in which her mother had written her story. It appeared that when he husband went to sea, she was expecting. A former suitor, and another sailor, abducts her, leaving her rejection letter to him to be found by her husband and misinterpreted. Realising the error of his ways, and full of repentance, the captain returns to look for the boat and finds it dashed on rocks with everybody in the water. He swims out to rescue them, explaining that he now knows the truth. At this point it is unclear whether the ne'er-do-well, who tries to protect the girl, drowns or not. Otherwise, there is a generally Happy Ending as the ship sails back to Frisco, probably without a full cargo of blubber.Bessie Love (1898 - 1986), who played the girl, had 142 titles to her credit. Her penultimate film was the 1981 film about John Reed and the Russian Revolution, Reds.The real name of the Sea Lion is not given, though her wheel was made in London.

wes-connors Brutish whale-hunting Hobart Bosworth (as John Nelson) is no favorite on the docks of San Francisco. The feared taskmaster captain of "The Lair" runs a tight ship, and has trouble finding men to fill a crew. Overhearing two mates discuss impending fatherhood causes Bosworth to recall when he and his wife "Dolly May" were expecting their baby… and, we "flashback" twenty years, for a bitter recollection… Bosworth returns from seafaring, with a cradle built for baby, and discovers his wife's note: "Please forget me. I have found the man I really love. Dolly." So, now we know why Bosworth's a brute...What isn't explained is how he knows he couldn't be the baby's father. Another sloppy plot development is the changing of the "flashback" incident, later in the picture, from twenty to sixteen years ago; either Bosworth has poor recall or someone decided to make the daughter, when she finally appears as an adult, younger. While Mr. Bosworth frightens away potential sailors, young wastrel Emory Johnson (as Tom Walton) is thrown off his estate, after his father pays off a gold-digging girlfriend.With nowhere to turn, Mr. Johnson joins Bosworth's crew, where "The Sea Lion" bullies him unmercifully. Hoping to find drinking water, the ship approaches an uncharted island. There, they find fetching young Bessie Love (as Blossom) and wizened guardian Richard Morris (as "Uncle" Billy), survivors of a sixteen-year-old shipwreck. Johnson finds Ms. Love attractive; he tries to help her avoid Bosworth, who thinks she is the daughter of his wife and her lover - but, Bosworth may not know the whole true story… This was the last of stage veteran Bosworth's self-produced vehicles, and was definitely representative of his "silent film"-era starring roles. There was more variety in the actor's abilities, but Bosworth was most frequently seen as a snarling seafarer. Around this picture's release, he was winding down from a resurgence of popularity begun with a "comeback" appearance in "Behind the Door" (1919). In spite of chronic health problems, Bosworth sailed on into the 1940s, becoming an effective sound era character actor.***** The Sea Lion (12/5/21) Rowland V. Lee ~ Hobart Bosworth, Bessie Love, Emory Johnson, Richard Morris

zpzjones Hobart Bosworth was an interesting person. A traveler, adventurer, boxer, actor, sailor. He purportedly went to California at doctor's request for his health around 1908. In California Bosworth was amongst the earliest of stage actors to make movies in California becoming writer, director, actor, producer. Around 1913 Bosworth, already a movie veteran, formed his own production company ultimately producing a 1914 version of "The Sea Wolf". The Sea Lion is a 1921 adventure. The kind that Bosworthh liked to make. It is directed by Rowland Lee. Bosworth leads the cast in "The Sea Lion" in a yarn of a cuckold sailor who after 18 years is reunited with his daughter, played by Bessie Love. The print of this film is awful. The movie, is now in the public domain. Judging by the quality of the film it looks like a 6th generation print of a copy of a copy. It's hard to follow this movie because you can't read the intertitles at times or follow the action. Second and third viewings are almost mandatory to experience what the filmmakers are showing. Even in a messy print the story matter is exciting and one full of adventure. Hopefully a better print surfaces. dir. Rowland V. Lee, Bosworth Prods.

Michael_Elliott Sea Lion, The (1921) ** (out of 4) A bitter sea captain (Hobart Bosworth) does everything he can to be mean to people due to his wife leaving him out of no where sixteen years earlier. On one voyage they happen across a man and a young girl who have been shipwrecked on an island for sixteen years. The captain takes them on board and soon their stories connect. Rowland V. Lee directed this silent film, which has a couple good scenes but the story is so predictable that it's hard to be too shocked or surprised when the big twist comes. The morality tale is also a tad bit silly but there's some good stuff out at sea. Bosworth does the most with the screenplay and delivers a fine performance but the supporting players, including Emory Johnson, are all wooden.