Tell It to the Marines is Lon Chaney without disguise, as a tough Marine sergeant who trains recruits and learns, himself, about loyalty and sacrifice.
Tell It to the Marines (1926), directed by George W. Hill, stars Chaney as Sergeant O’Hara, a Marine who trains new recruits, including a young man who falls in love with a nurse, and who must lead his men in action in China. The film was a major success for MGM and for the Marine Corps, which cooperated with its production.
Chaney’s O’Hara is stern, funny and, in the end, heroic, and the role allowed him to play a straightforward, human character without makeup tricks. His sergeant, who seems hard at first, reveals a caring, paternal side, especially toward his men.
It is a signature role because it is Chaney’s most popular non-horror film, and because it proved he could carry a mainstream, patriotic drama on personality alone.