IMDb > Souls at Sea (1937)

Souls at Sea (1937) More at IMDbPro »

IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   164 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 19% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Henry Hathaway
Writers:
Grover Jones (writer)
Ted Lesser (story)
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Souls at Sea on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
3 September 1937 (USA) more
Genre:
Action | Adventure more
Tagline:
Men Against The Sea ! Stark Drama No Fiction Can Equal ! more
Plot:
Cooper and Raft save lives during a sea tragedy in this story about slave trade on the high seas in 1842. | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for 3 Oscars. more
User Comments:
Great Hathaway action tale more (5 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Gary Cooper ... Michael 'Nuggin' Taylor

George Raft ... Powdah
Frances Dee ... Margaret Tarryton

Henry Wilcoxon ... Lieutenant Stanley Tarryton
Harry Carey ... Captain of the William Brown
Olympe Bradna ... Babsie

Robert Cummings ... George Martin
Porter Hall ... Court Prosecutor
George Zucco ... Barton Woodley
Virginia Weidler ... Tina
Joseph Schildkraut ... Gaston de Bastonet
Gilbert Emery ... Captain Martisel
Lucien Littlefield ... Tina's Father, the Toymaker
Paul Fix ... Violinist
Tully Marshall ... Pecora
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
92 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
Australia:PG | Finland:K-16
Company:
Paramount Pictures more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since. more
Quotes:
Michael 'Nuggin' Taylor: Well, how many times have you been chased by a policeman?
Powdah: More times than you can count.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Unusual Occupations (1937/III) more
Soundtrack:
Hang Boys Hang more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful.
Great Hathaway action tale, 30 September 2006
9/10
Author: ROCKY-19 from Arizona

Here is a film that inexplicably has been given little exposure to modern audiences. Paramount threw in a lot of its top talent to tell a good story with drama, humor and lots of action.

Nuggin Taylor (Cooper) has waged a one-man war against slaves ships in the 1840s. His best friend Powdah (Raft) has been a slaver, if a half-hearted one, for years. The two board a packet from Liverpool to America in a plot to undermine the slave shipping lines, but also on board is their main nemesis and his sister. Naturally Taylor has a "thing" for the sister. When a tragic accident befalls the ship, Taylor must take drastic action to save passengers and is ultimately charged with multiple murders.

Cooper again plays the aw-shucks persona he perfected but here combines it with the literate, committed character of Nuggin. Note that in the lengthy opening sequence he says nothing, but is the center point of every word. Raft, who was always at his best for Henry Hathaway, gets crimped hair and an earring and the package works for the uneducated, footloose Powdah, who is ironically terrified of water. Raft's trademark unblinking stare is used to great effect and even humor. Copper and Raft, who sing together so pleasantly here, remained good friends after making this film.

The picture took three photographers. Estimable Charles Lang split the cinematography duties with Merritt Gerstad. Gordon Jennings was in charge of the special photographic effects in the climactic ship disaster. Their decisions were mostly excellent. Especially effective were the constant tilted angles aboard ship. The black-and-white filming offers up rich tones and texture, instantly setting the stage with the slave cargo sequence. The action scenes are outstandingly photographed and executed.

In period pieces, Hollywood tends to go overboard with layers of decorations. In 'Souls at Sea' art directors Hans Dreier and Roland Anderson are magnificently restrained and very accurate. That and A.E. Freudeman's interior decoration make the film seem really in Philadelphia, really in Liverpool and really on board a ship in 1842.

This is a great example of Hathaway's work, weaving appropriate humor into the human drama and relationships. There is an amusing montage as Taylor is scouring Liverpool for Powdah, and that relationship's integrity is maintained throughout.

This is a classic well worth making the effort to find.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (5 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Souls at Sea (1937)

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom The Secret of Treasure Island Spartacus Ben-Hur Amistad
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
IMDb Action section IMDb USA section Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.