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The Long Voyage Home (1940),
Director: John Ford, rated
Approved
DRAMA of the men who go
down to the sea in ships!
  Starring:
John Wayne, Thomas Mitchell, Ian Hunter, Barry Fitzgerald,
Wilfrid Lawson, John Qualen, Mildred Natwick, Ward Bond, Arthur
Shields, Joseph Sawyer, J.M. Kerrigan
DML Rating:
★★★★★★★☆☆☆
- good
"Best thing to do with
memories is... forget 'em." - Donkeyman
Why watch this?
Storied director John Ford gives us a great sea yarn about the men who
sailed.
Plot Summary: The
British tramp steamer Glencairn embarks on a dangerous
voyage from the West Indies to London, transporting a volatile
cargo of munitions amidst the looming threat of German U-boats
during WWII. The story follows the lives of the ship's crew, a
diverse group of hard-drinking men grappling with their
anxieties, hopes, and relationships while enduring the perils of
the sea and the isolation of wartime. Among them, young Swedish
sailor Ole Olsen dreams of leaving the sea forever to return to
his family in Stockholm.
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Dad's Preview:
The next Ford/Wayne project after
Stagecoach
(1939) was this sea adventure about the scrappy men who
inhabited the steamers and trawlers of that time. This time
around director Ford gave Wayne little to say, but his
good-natured Swedish character is central to the plot. Thomas
Mitchell, as the crew's informal leader, puts forth a top notch
performance as expected. The cinematography really stands out in
the black and white classic. It is beautifully shot. This film
has been hailed for its realism depicting the drudgery and
dangers these men faced. It was nominated for six Oscars, but
didn't land a one. |
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Walter Wanger
Productions, Argosy Corp.; United Artists |
