Jim is an English seaman who, early in his career, goes along with a cowardly captain and crew in a decision that leaves a boatload of Muslim pilgrims bound for Mecca abandoned. Jim later claims he acted under hypnosis, but the Admiralty Court does not accept the excuse and strips him of his mate's certificate. Branded by the episode, he reaches a remote Malay settlement where, little by little, he gains influence until he shares authority with the Rajah's son.

How it was made

The film adapts Joseph Conrad's 1900 novel Lord Jim and was directed by Victor Fleming. It is a roughly 70-minute American silent drama. Percy Marmont takes the title role, alongside Noah Beery and Duke Kahanamoku. The available sources do not detail the screenwriting or shooting process, so its visual style can only be described in general terms as a silent production of its era.

Reception and legacy

A print is preserved at the Library of Congress and another at the UCLA Film and Television Archive. The sources consulted do not give reliable information about its critical reception or any awards, so its place in film history rests mainly on being one of the silent-era adaptations of Conrad's work.

Trivia

Preservation

A print is held by the Library of Congress and another by the UCLA archive, which allows the film to still be seen today.

More films by Victor Fleming

Gone with the Wind1939

The Wizard of Oz1939

The Good Earth1937

Captains Courageous1937

Joan of Arc1948

The Way of All Flesh1927

Original Cinematopedia text based on Wikipedia (en) and Wikidata.