IMDb > Down to the Sea in Ships (1922)

Down to the Sea in Ships (1922) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
6.5/10   153 votes
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Down 6% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Elmer Clifton
Writer:
John L.E. Pell (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for Down to the Sea in Ships on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
4 March 1923 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Romance more
Plot:
Story of the lives of the people in a small Quaker community and the adventures of a whaling ship. | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
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User Comments:
Beautifully photographed and spectacular action film. more (13 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)
Marguerite Courtot ... Patience Morgan
Raymond McKee ... Thomas Allan Dexter
William Walcott ... Charles W. Morgan

Clara Bow ... 'Dot' Morgan
James Turfler ... Jimmy
Leigh Smith ... Scuff Smith (as Leigh R. Smith)
Pat Hartigan ... Jake Finner (as Patrick Hartigan)
Jack Baston ... Samuel Siggs (as J. Thornton Baston)
Curtis Pierce ... The Town Crier
Ada Laycock ... 'Henny' Clark
William Cavanaugh ... Thunderbolt Bill
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
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Runtime:
83 min
Country:
USA
Color:
Black and White (tinted)
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Silent
Certification:
USA:Unrated
Filming Locations:
New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA
Company:
Whaling Film Corp. more

Fun Stuff

Movie Connections:
Featured in The Casting Couch (1995) (V) more

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User Comments

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3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful.
Beautifully photographed and spectacular action film., 1 March 2000
9/10
Author: David Atfield (bits@alphalink.com.au) from Canberra, Australia

This film is about whaling - so immediately there is a problem for contemporary audiences who find the practice abhorrent. But once you get beyond that you have to appreciate the bravery of the whalers, and of the actor Raymond McKee and the camera crew! The climactic whaling sequence appears to be completely genuine - with the star in the thick of the action. If there is any trick photography here it is well ahead of its time, because nothing looks phony at all. You really feel you are there on that little boat being pulled along by a giant sperm whale. How the shots were achieved I cannot imagine - the story of the making of this film must be fascinating.

Less spectacular is the love story that provides the plot framework for the whaling sequences. Marguerite Courtet, as the tragic Quaker heroine is completely up-staged by the frenetic energy of the 17 year old Clara Bow in her film debut. Clara is a delight - and reveals the charisma that would soon make her a legend. Raymond McKee is good in the lead and very handsome - and, as I said before, really put his life at risk.

The entire film, both on sea and land, is magnificently photographed, with great use of light and shadow, and very advanced camera movement. Elmer Clifton directs with a sure hand, and the result is a hugely entertaining and often spectacular epic.

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