Castle on Salt Island, 1919 Alice M. Curtis/ @Fredrik D. BodinI encounter locals, and even Brier Neck residents whose homes overlook Salt Island, who don’t know about the castle that was situated there. Here’s the story:
In the fall of 1919, the Fox Movie Company built a wood and plaster facade of a Gothic castle for the silent film Bride 13. This was a 15 part serial, or cliff hanger. The plot revolved around the kidnapping and ransom of thirteen beautiful damsels by a ruthless Moroccan pirate and his motley crew. Action scenes included the firing of a 450 pound cannon, a hot air balloon escape, US Navy battleships and submarine, a schooner wrecked and burned in Brace Cove, and the dynamiting of the castle as the movie’s finale.
Where is this film? I’d love to know. All sources indicate that Bride 13 was either lost or destroyed, as happened with many silent films. The reference used for this post was the May 1972 Yankee Magazine article, Lights! Camera! Disaster!, authored by the late Joseph E. Garland of Gloucester. Thanks, Joe–you gave us so much–we miss you.
Photograph printed from the original 5×7 inch glass negative in my darkroom. Image # A8357-053
Fred Bodin
Bodin Historic Photo
82 Main Street
Gloucester, MA 01930
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Good Morning Gloucester 
Very cool, I didn’t know that either!
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Wow, that is very cool. I LOVE that photo! Wish there were more.
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Totally cool photo!
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When I do step-on guiding and tell the passengers about Bride 13 and Captains Courageous being filmed on Salt Island, they’re always stunned. Though one time last year, a 12 year old passenger on a shore excursion for the Eurodam not only knew that both the Bride 13 serial and Capt. Courageous were filmed on the island but he even knew that Spencer Tracy won an Academy Award for his performance! There’s hope for the future, film lovers!
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thanks for bringing that back, fred. i’d love to see the garland article in yankee. the museum has a couple dozen photos of the filming in our archive and i’ll send a selection if capt joey sez g’head. infamous fred (the other one..)
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I have a photocopy of the article. I’d like to see the photos the Museum has of Bride 13.
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That’s awesome! We’ve got to find a copy of that somewhere. Maybe Netflix?
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