Doheny Memorial Library, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0189 Public Domain. Release under the CC BY Attribution license--http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/--Credit both “University of Southern California. Libraries” and “California Historical Society” as the source. Digitally reproduced by the USC Digital Library; From the California Historical Society Collection at the University of Southern California Send requests to address or e-mail given USC Libraries Special Collections specol@usc.edu
Description
Photograph of the burning a pirate ship called "Castle" in the film "Old Ironsides", ca.1920. At the bottom of the image, a boat sits on a body of calm water while dark smoke fills the sky above the water. To the right, the light of the fire can be seen burning the boat while the windows of the boat are visible on the left. IN the center, the hull of the ship is barely visible through the smoke. Photoprint reads: "Burned to the water's edge -- view of the spectacular blowing up and sinking of the giant-masted frigate 'Castle', thirty miles offshore Los Angeles Harbor. The vessel, formerly the S.N. Castle, famous clipper ship of the copra trade since the '80's, was destroyed at the order of James Cruze, director, in the climax of the battle sequence of 'Old Ironsides', which he is directing for Paramount. Cannon shot from 'Old Ironsides' first sheared away the masts of the 'Castle', used as a Tripolitan pirate craft, and then exploded a powder magazine in the hull. Dense smoke overhung the Catalina Isthmus Bay as the boat burned. The main mast was the last to sink, flaming like a mammoth torch. It will be necessary to send divers down to dynamite the hull to prevent any menace to navigation."
Type
image
Format
1 photograph : photoprint, b&w 26 x 21 cm. photographic prints photographs
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