The Cruise of the Jasper B (Silent) (DVD)

According to his pirate ancestors' family tradition, Jerry Cleggett must marry on the deck of the ancient sailing ship, The Jasper B, on his 25th birthday, or lose his inheritance. Just in the nick of time, he finds a worthy soul-mate in beautiful heiress Agatha Fairhaven. But as the two lovebirds race to reach The Jasper B before sundown, gangsters, the federal authorities, and Agatha's stepbrother who stands to lose a fortune if the couple wed, are all converging to make sure that the nuptials are not allowed to take place.

Dashing shirtless star Rod La Rocque headlined this fine Cecil B. DeMille production three years after rocketing to fame in the director's 1923 masterpiece, The Ten Commandments. After a high-profile marriage to beautiful silent star Vilma Banky, La Rocque made a successful transition to sound, appearing in classics such as The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (1939) and Meet John Doe (1941) before retiring to a successful real estate career.

• silent