The Long Voyage Home (1940)

Aboard the freighter Glencairn, the lives of the crew are lived out in fear, loneliness, suspicion and cameraderie. The men smuggle drink and women aboard, fight with each other, spy on ... See full summary »

Director:

John Ford

Writers:

Eugene O'Neill (based on: four sea plays by), Dudley Nichols (adapted for the screen by)

Stars:

John Wayne, Thomas Mitchell, Ian Hunter

Nominated for 6 Oscars. Another 3 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Wayne	...	Olsen
Thomas Mitchell	...	Driscoll
Ian Hunter	...	Smitty
Barry Fitzgerald	...	Cocky
Wilfrid Lawson	...	Captain
John Qualen	...	Axel
Mildred Natwick	...	Freda
Ward Bond	...	Yank
Arthur Shields	...	Donkeyman
Joe Sawyer	...	Davis (as Joseph Sawyer)
J.M. Kerrigan	...	Crimp
Rafaela Ottiano	...	Bella
Carmen Morales	...	Principal Spanish Girl
Jack Pennick	...	Johnny
Bob Perry	...	Paddy (as Bob E. Perry)

Storyline

Aboard the freighter Glencairn, the lives of the crew are lived out in fear, loneliness, suspicion and cameraderie. The men smuggle drink and women aboard, fight with each other, spy on each other, comfort each other as death approaches, and rescue each other from danger.

---

Plot Keywords:

fight | rescue | funeral at sea | warrior | murder | 

---

Taglines:

A story that only Eugene O'Neill could tell! The greatest of America's playwrights and the most gifted of directors bring you the mightiest sea drama ever filmed...played by a brilliant cast!

---

Genres:

Drama | War

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

11 November 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

Eine lange Reise

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles Harbor, Wilmington, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Argosy Pictures, Walter Wanger Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

John Wayne once told biographer Maurice Zolotow: "Usually it would be Mr. Ford [John Ford] who helped the cinematographer get his compositions for maximum effect . . . but in this case it was Gregg Toland who helped Mr. Ford. 'Long Voyage' is about as beautifully photographed a movie as there ever has been."

---

Goofs

Wilfrid Lawson's name is spelled Wilfred in the opening credits, but is spelled correctly in the end credits.

---

Quotes

Donkeyman: Best thing to do with memories is... forget em.

---

Connections

Featured in John Ford (1993)

---

Soundtracks

"When Irish Eyes Are Smiling"
(1912) (uncredited)
Music by Ernest Ball
Lyrics by Chauncey Olcott and George Graff
Played on flute by John Qualen
Sung by David Hughes

User Reviews

One of John Ford's best

This expresses a great sadness about the lives of men at sea. Some are doomed to stay forever. One of the goals of the movie is to finally get John Wayne, an innocent Swedish man, off the boats and home to his old mother. It paints such a bleak picture you really root for him, even with Wayne's horrible performance. It goes right for the heartstrings. There's a great performance by Ian Hunter as the fellow who mainly keeps to himself. He has a secret past, and they suspect he's a spy. This one of John Ford's least self-conscious movies, there's no heavy Americana to deal with and he directs you to the heart of the story and the often drunken emotions of the sailors. **** out of ****