"The Eagle" gives heart throb Rudolph Valentino one of his best roles as the Robin Hood like hero known as The Black Eagle. It has adventure, romance, treachery and a dashing hero.
The opening sequence has young Cossack Lieutenant Vladmir Dubrovsky (Valentino) "borrowing" the horse of the Czarina Catherine the Great (Louise Dresser) to ride after a runaway coach when the horses were spooked by firing squad target practice. Vladmir chases down the coach and brings it under control. Inside the coach Mascha Troekouroff (Vilma Banky) and her Aunt Aurella (Carrie Clark Ward. He doesn't know it yet but Mascha is the daughter of a bandit Kyrilla who has cheated Vladmir's father out of the family estate.
The Czarina is impressed by Vladmir's gallantry and bravery and invites him and his Captain Kuschka (Albert Conti) to her quarters. The Czarina os well known for her amorous adventures having just signed the death warrant for her latest lover. Now she sets her sights on young Vladmir sending Kuschka away. While she is changing into something more comfortable, Vladmir flees. The Czarina is outraged and puts out a "dead or alive" order on him and he becomes a fugitive.
Vladmir learns of Kyrilla's treachery and sets out to exact his revenge following his father's death. He forms a band from his father's estate workers and dons a mask to become "The Black Eagle". He and his followers wreak havoc upon Kyrilla and his followers. When Vladmir meets a French Tutor from Paris hired to teach French to Kyrilla's daughter, he kidnaps the tutor and takes his place.
When Vladmir presents himself as Monsieur LeBlanc, he meets Mascha and realizes that she was the girl from the coach that he had confronted earlier. He forgets for a moment, his true mission of revenge and falls in love with Mascha. He does try to assassinate Kyrills on two separate occasions but is prevented doing so by the timely arrival of Mascha on the scene.
After the second attempt as The Black Eagle, Vladmir is forced to flee but returns to the house through another entrance. Just then a troop of Cossacks bring in The Black Eagle's second in command (Russell Simpson) whom they torture trying to get him to reveal The Black Eagle's location. Vladmir is forced to reveal his identity and is arrested as the Czarina's prisoner.
The Czarina who had taken Cpt. Kuschka unto herself in Vladmir's stead, is still angry and signs his death warrant. Before his scheduled execution, the Czarina has agreed to let Vladmir and Mascha get married. Then he is marched off to his doom but.....................................................................................
The ending is rather bizarre and Vladmir's father is never avenged. Go figure. Anyway, Valentino is great in the lead and the two ladies are also outstanding. Watch for Gary Cooper as a masked Cossack (I missed him) and veteran silent comic Mac Swain as an innkeeper.
Great entertainment.
The opening sequence has young Cossack Lieutenant Vladmir Dubrovsky (Valentino) "borrowing" the horse of the Czarina Catherine the Great (Louise Dresser) to ride after a runaway coach when the horses were spooked by firing squad target practice. Vladmir chases down the coach and brings it under control. Inside the coach Mascha Troekouroff (Vilma Banky) and her Aunt Aurella (Carrie Clark Ward. He doesn't know it yet but Mascha is the daughter of a bandit Kyrilla who has cheated Vladmir's father out of the family estate.
The Czarina is impressed by Vladmir's gallantry and bravery and invites him and his Captain Kuschka (Albert Conti) to her quarters. The Czarina os well known for her amorous adventures having just signed the death warrant for her latest lover. Now she sets her sights on young Vladmir sending Kuschka away. While she is changing into something more comfortable, Vladmir flees. The Czarina is outraged and puts out a "dead or alive" order on him and he becomes a fugitive.
Vladmir learns of Kyrilla's treachery and sets out to exact his revenge following his father's death. He forms a band from his father's estate workers and dons a mask to become "The Black Eagle". He and his followers wreak havoc upon Kyrilla and his followers. When Vladmir meets a French Tutor from Paris hired to teach French to Kyrilla's daughter, he kidnaps the tutor and takes his place.
When Vladmir presents himself as Monsieur LeBlanc, he meets Mascha and realizes that she was the girl from the coach that he had confronted earlier. He forgets for a moment, his true mission of revenge and falls in love with Mascha. He does try to assassinate Kyrills on two separate occasions but is prevented doing so by the timely arrival of Mascha on the scene.
After the second attempt as The Black Eagle, Vladmir is forced to flee but returns to the house through another entrance. Just then a troop of Cossacks bring in The Black Eagle's second in command (Russell Simpson) whom they torture trying to get him to reveal The Black Eagle's location. Vladmir is forced to reveal his identity and is arrested as the Czarina's prisoner.
The Czarina who had taken Cpt. Kuschka unto herself in Vladmir's stead, is still angry and signs his death warrant. Before his scheduled execution, the Czarina has agreed to let Vladmir and Mascha get married. Then he is marched off to his doom but.....................................................................................
The ending is rather bizarre and Vladmir's father is never avenged. Go figure. Anyway, Valentino is great in the lead and the two ladies are also outstanding. Watch for Gary Cooper as a masked Cossack (I missed him) and veteran silent comic Mac Swain as an innkeeper.
Great entertainment.