Thunder Rock (1942)

A cynical, embittered newspaperman is tormented, then inspired, by visions he keeps having of people who have drowned.

Director:

Roy Boulting

Writers:

Robert Ardrey (play), Jeffrey Dell (screenplay),

Stars:

Michael Redgrave, Barbara Mullen, James Mason

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Redgrave	...	David Charleston
Barbara Mullen	...	Ellen Kirby
James Mason	...	Streeter
Lilli Palmer	...	Melanie Kurtz
Finlay Currie	...	Capt. Joshua Stuart
Frederick Valk	...	Dr. Stefan Kurtz
Sybille Binder	...	Anne-Marie Kurtz
Frederick Cooper	...	Edward 'Ted' Briggs
Jean Shepherd	...	Mrs. Millie Briggs
Barry Morse	...	Robert
George Carney	...	Harry
Miles Malleson	...	Chairman of Directors
Bryan Herbert	...	Flanning (as Brian Herbert)
James Pirrie	...	Jim Sales
A.E. Matthews	...	Mr. Kirby

Storyline

David Charleston, once a world renowned journalist, now lives alone maintaining the Thunder Rock lighthouse in Lake Michigan. He doesn't cash is paychecks and has no contact other than the monthly inspector's visit. When alone, he imagines conversations with those who died when a 19th century packet ship with some 60 passengers sank. He imagines their lives, their problems their fears and their hopes. In one of these conversations he recalls his own efforts in the 1930s when he tried desperately to convince first his editors and later the public of the dangers of fascism and the inevitability of war. Few would listen. One of the passengers, a spinster, tells her story of seeking independence from a world dominated by men. There's also the case of a doctor who is banished for using unacceptable methods. David has given up on life but the imaginary passengers give him hope for the future

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Plot Keywords:

hope | ship | doctor | editor | lighthouse | 

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | War

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 September 1944 (USA)

Also Known As:

De döda skeppens fyr

Filming Locations:

D&P Studios, Denham Studios, Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Charter Film Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of Thunder Rock (1946)

User Reviews

"We are yourself"

First of all, THUNDER ROCK is a psychological drama, but the film has very much hidden beneath its surface. This film comes disguised as a rather peculiar fantasy tale, but the truth is that it deals with reincarnation, a fact that's already revealed in the first scenes: A message is passed on by telephone from one office clerk to another, and to another and another. Like knowledge that is transmitted from one life to another.

David (Michael Redgrave) who is living completely on his own in a secluded lighthouse, finds a logbook with an old passenger list. This allows him to tune into his subconscious mind to open up the memories of his past lives. The drowned people, "immigrants from the old world": Each one of them represents a part of David's character. Each one of them could have been a person he once was in a former life. If you believe in reincarnation, this is a film you must see. However, Michael Redgrave is superb and so is the rest of the cast in this beautifully photographed film classic.