Thank you for your kind words. An interesting film indeed. Lon Chaney was excellent as the tough Marine sergeant. This film sounds the power of the silent movie. Notice how the director shots those close-ups of the actors. They had faces back then. A nice close-up shot is a reflection of character. The viewer is pulled into this film through story and character.
As for Warner Oland, it was a long wait before his appearance in the film. But it was worth the wait. Remember, in 1925-26, Oland was a supporting character actor. He was not a star. Once Oland appeared in the film, he was fascinating.
"Tell it to the Marines" was made five years before Warner Oland played Charlie Chan. By this stage in his career, Oland had played several "oriental" characters in the movies. Something about that face of his.
A big Mahalo to Robert Osborne and the programming staff at Turner Classic Movies. At the conclusion of the film, Mr. Osborne gave a nice acknowledgment to Mr. Oland and his "Charlie Chan" character.
I hope that our Charlie Chan Home family group enjoyed seeing a different side of actor Warner Oland. He was one of the finest character actors to come out of Hollywood's Golden Age of Movies. He knew his craft well.
Yesterday afternoon, escaping the heat a bit, we took the girls over to the former NTC (Naval Training Center) to play at the new parks that are a part of the revamped complex. When we left, we drove out through what was the old main gate on the north side of NTC. Glancing at this entrance, I recalled it being shown in "Tell it to the Marines," also.
It is nice to know that there is still a part of the Naval Training Center (a.k.a. "Tell It" US Marine base movie set) still standing in San Diego. Did you take any photographs? If so, please post a photo or two on this site.
