The Sea Beast (1926 film)

The Sea Beast is a 1926 American silent film adaptation of Herman Melville's 1851 novel Moby-Dick. Directed by Millard Webb, it stars John Barrymore as Captain Ahab (originally named "Alfred Ahab Ceeley" in this adaptation) and Dolores Costello as his love interest, Esther Harper.

Notable for being one of the first major film adaptations of Melville's classic novel, The Sea Beast deviates significantly from the book's plot and characters. Instead of focusing primarily on Ahab's obsession with the white whale, the film incorporates a romantic subplot and presents Ahab as a more sympathetic figure. The film follows Alfred Ahab Ceeley, a sailor seeking to clear his family's name after his brother is branded a coward for failing to kill a white whale. During his pursuit, Alfred encounters and falls in love with Esther Harper.

The film was a major commercial success for Warner Bros., helping to establish Barrymore as a leading man and solidifying the studio's position in the industry. Its success prompted Warner Bros. to produce a talking remake in 1930 titled Moby Dick, also starring John Barrymore.

While lauded for its visual effects and Barrymore's performance, The Sea Beast has been criticized by some for its departure from the source material. Nevertheless, it remains a significant film in the history of adaptations of Moby-Dick and a notable example of silent-era filmmaking. Its romantic elements and altered narrative reflect the changing tastes of audiences during the 1920s. The film is preserved by the Library of Congress.