AllMovie

Hearts of Oak is, alas, one of the many "lost" silent films of pantheon director John Ford. Filmed not long after Ford's epic western The Iron Horse, Hearts was the story of elderly seaman Terry Dunnivan (Hobart Bosworth). In love with the much-younger Chrystal (Pauline Starke), Terry is incensed that she prefers the company of handsome Ned Fairwether (Theodore Von Eltz). Ultimately, however, Dunnivan does the "right thing," sacrificing his own happiness -- and, as it turns out, his own life -- to ensure the future security of Chrystal and Ned. John Ford's brother Francis, at one time a major star/director in his own right, showed up in a minor role.