The novel by Richard Henry Dana Jr., written over a hundred years before this movie, stands the test of time in its tail of brutality and corruption on a cargo ship sailing from Boston to the unsettled California in the early days of the United States, going around Cape Horn in Chile. So it covers several oceans and two years, with a captain (Howard da Silva) who proves to be very brutal during that time, especially with Alan Ladd, shanghai'd on the ship against his will and ironically the son of the ship's owner.
Ladd and da Silva are adams from the very beginning, with Ladd getting ten lashes early on, and increasingly incuring da Silva's wrath constantly. William Bendix plays an equally horrid crew member, cast against type, and silently plotting like the snake in the grass he is. There's also the idealistic Brian Donlevy, incompetent cook Barry Fitzgerald and stowaway Darryl Hickman whom Ladd initially hides and feeds.
While out in the middle of the sea, they rescue Esther Fernandez and her servant which creates tension as any female presence would. The compassionate Fernandez is aghast of the treatment of the crew, especially the horrible unhealthy food they have to eat, so it's no surprise when Ladd and others plot a mutiny. While on the surface, da Silva comes off as a complete brute, he shows occasional humanity such as what happens when Hickman is discovered. It's a great performance, standing out in a terrific ensemble. Excellent photography and a nice musical score are other high marks. Definitely one of the best obscure films of the 40's, completely riveting.
Ladd and da Silva are adams from the very beginning, with Ladd getting ten lashes early on, and increasingly incuring da Silva's wrath constantly. William Bendix plays an equally horrid crew member, cast against type, and silently plotting like the snake in the grass he is. There's also the idealistic Brian Donlevy, incompetent cook Barry Fitzgerald and stowaway Darryl Hickman whom Ladd initially hides and feeds.
While out in the middle of the sea, they rescue Esther Fernandez and her servant which creates tension as any female presence would. The compassionate Fernandez is aghast of the treatment of the crew, especially the horrible unhealthy food they have to eat, so it's no surprise when Ladd and others plot a mutiny. While on the surface, da Silva comes off as a complete brute, he shows occasional humanity such as what happens when Hickman is discovered. It's a great performance, standing out in a terrific ensemble. Excellent photography and a nice musical score are other high marks. Definitely one of the best obscure films of the 40's, completely riveting.