Rugged Water

Rugged Water
Rugged Water
	Film poster
Directed by	Irvin Willat
Screenplay by	James Shelley Hamilton
Based on	novel by Joseph C. Lincoln
Produced by	Jesse L. Lasky; Adolph Zukor
Starring	Lois Wilson; Wallace Beery; Warner Baxter; Phyllis Haver; Dot Farley; J. P. Lockney; James Mason; Willard Cooley
Cinematography	Alfred Gilks
Production; company	Famous Players–Lasky Corporation
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	August 17, 1925;
Running time	60 minutes
Country	United States
Language	Silent (English intertitles)

Rugged Water is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Irvin Willat and written by James Shelley Hamilton and Joseph C. Lincoln. The film stars Lois Wilson, Wallace Beery, Warner Baxter, Phyllis Haver, Dot Farley, J. P. Lockney, James Mason, and Willard Cooley. The film was released on August 17, 1925, by Paramount Pictures.^[1]^[2]

Plot

A Cape Cod melodrama about the U.S. Life-Saving Service based on a novel by Joseph C. Lincoln. When the captain of the Setauket Life Saving Station retires, the second in command, Calvin Homer, expects to be promoted; but the appointment goes instead to Benoni Bartlett, a religious fanatic who has been named a hero as the only survivor of dangerous rescue that claimed the lives of his fellow crewmen at a neighboring station. Bartlett's daughter Norma convinces Homer to stay in spite of her father's antagonistic ways. Soon a romance springs up between the two of them, even though Myra Fuller had already finagled a proposal out of Homer.

Myra, the village vamp, breaks off her engagement to him. When a storm blows, Bartlett's religious fanaticism proves to be nothing but a cover for his cowardice and he refuses to send his crew out to rescue a vessel in distress. Calvin takes the men out and affects the rescue. Bartlett is discharged, and Calvin is appointed to replace him. Driven insane by his experiences, Bartlett ventures out in a small boat in rough water, and Calvin rescues him. The old man dies from exposure, and Norma, having realized that Calvin was not responsible for her father's disgrace, seeks refuge in his strong arms.

Cast

Lois Wilson as Norma Bartlett
Wallace Beery as Capt. Bartlett
Warner Baxter as Calvin Horner
Phyllis Haver as Myra Fuller
Dot Farley as Mrs. Fuller
J. P. Lockney as Supt. Lockney
James Mason as Wally Oakes
Willard Cooley as Sam Bearse
Walter Ackerman as Cook
Knute Erickson as Jarvis
Thomas Delmar as Gammon
Jack Byron as Orrin Hendricks
Walter Rodgers as Bloomer
Warren Rogers as Josh Phinney

Preservation

Rugged Water is currently presumed lost.^[3]^[4] In February of 2021, the film was cited by the National Film Preservation Board on their Lost U.S. Silent Feature Films list.^[5]

References

↑ Janiss Garza (2014). "Rugged-Water - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes - NYTimes.com". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on August 9, 2014. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
↑ "Rugged Water". afi.com. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
↑ "The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Database: Rugged Water". memory.loc.gov. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2026. Cite error: Unknown parameter "loc" in <ref> tag; supported parameters are dir, follow, group, name (see the help page).
↑ Rugged Water at Lost Film Files: Paramount lost films - 1925
↑ "7,200 Lost U.S. Silent Feature Films (1912-29)" (PDF). National Film Preservation Board. Retrieved April 11, 2026.

External links

Rugged Water at IMDb
Lobby poster

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[1] Janiss Garza (2014). "Rugged-Water - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes - NYTimes.com". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on August 9, 2014. Retrieved February 6, 2015.

[afi-2] "Rugged Water". afi.com. Retrieved April 11, 2026.

[3] "The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Database: Rugged Water". memory.loc.gov. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2026. Cite error: Unknown parameter "loc" in <ref> tag; supported parameters are dir, follow, group, name (see the help page).

[4] Rugged Water at Lost Film Files: Paramount lost films - 1925

[Lost_U.S._Silent_Feature_Films-5] "7,200 Lost U.S. Silent Feature Films (1912-29)" (PDF). National Film Preservation Board. Retrieved April 11, 2026.

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