Cinema Revisited: Beyond the Rocks (1922)

Back in 2006, Milestone Film and Video released the long elusive film Beyond The Rocks, a 1922 silent drama based on a novel by Elinor Glyn, and starring silent screen icons Rudolph Valentino and Gloria Swanson. Having a decades-long reputation as one of the maddeningly lost films of the silent era, a lone nitrate print of Beyond The Rocks was discovered among the effects of Dutch film collector Joop van Liempd by The Nederlands Filmmuseum. The condition of the print was quite poor, and the restoration process was very difficult. When one considers that this is the only existing print of Beyond The Rocks, (the camera negative no longer exists), and the level of its condition when found, it is truly amazing how wonderfully restored it appeared on the DVD, including the original tints. Only two brief sequences were so completely destroyed, they had to be jettisoned.

Beyond the Rocks features Alec Francis as a widower bringing up three daughters on his marginal pension. The daughters all long to marry a rich man, but Theodora (Gloria Swanson) ends up in a more romantic situation when she is rescued from the water by a handsome Lord (Valentino), after having fallen overboard while out rowing. She is attracted to this wealthy man, and it is reciprocated, but he has no intention of marrying anyone. She unwillingly weds an unattractive millionaire much older than she is, in order to help support her family. Of course, her love for the handsome Lord continues to be a distraction, and later a conflict. As with many silent dramas, a sacrifice is made at the end for the greater good of all involved.

Beyond the Rocks is an entertaining romantic melodrama and was massively popular at the time of its original release. Its history is somewhat more interesting than its aesthetic. Beyond the Rocks is not a particularly significant cinematic achievement for either of its stars, or its director Sam Wood (Goodbye Mr. Chips, A Night at the Opera). It does, however, add to the filmography of two very important cinematic legends, featuring both Valentino and Swanson at the height of their careers and in their only film together. At the time of Beyond the Rocks, Valentino had become a sensation with the huge hit The Sheik and had recently completed Moran of the Lady Letty. His career soared even further with this film, and his next, Blood and Sand. Swanson, who auspiciously begun in Mack Sennett comedies, had more recently scored in DeMille’s The Affairs of Anatol opposite Wallace Reid. Soon films like Zaza and Manhandled would further define her career.

Gloria Swanson had fond memories of her experience on Beyond the Rocks, and in her later years she indicated an interest in seeing the movie again. Unfortunately, the film remained lost until 2003, twenty years after Ms. Swanson’s death.

The publicity for this film in some cities was massive. In Paducah, Kentucky, an entire store was used to sell merchandise from this movie and its stars. The store was decorated with stills and artwork depicting Swanson and Valentino, and both personally contributed some of their own materials. A cut-out of Valentino was placed on the curb in front of the theater showing the film. The result of this level of marketing, Beyond the Rocks set a box office record for that movie house, which stood firm for the remainder of the 1920s. Theater owners throughout the nation reported in the trades that Beyond the Rocks was well-attended and audiences were quite pleased.

The fact that so much of cinema’s history has been lost to the ravages of time, it is of tremendous importance when any lost film is discovered. And since Beyond The Rocks is nothing more than a entertaining romantic drama, and not so deep and fulfilling as Sunrise or The Gold Rush, it could very well have ended up quietly archived. That Milestone Film and Video made it available on DVD is cause for celebration.