The Ghost Ship (1943)

Tom Merriam signs on the ship Altair as third officer under Captain Stone. At first things look good, Stone sees Merriam as a younger version of himself and Merriam sees Stone as the first ... See full summary »

Director:

Mark Robson

Writers:

Donald Henderson Clarke (screenplay), Leo Mittler (story)

Stars:

Richard Dix, Russell Wade, Edith Barrett

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Richard Dix	...	Capt. Will Stone
Russell Wade	...	3rd Officer Tom Merriam / Tertius
Edith Barrett	...	Ellen Roberts
Ben Bard	...	First Officer Bowns
Edmund Glover	...	Jacob 'Sparks' Winslow, Radioman

Storyline

Tom Merriam signs on the ship Altair as third officer under Captain Stone. At first things look good, Stone sees Merriam as a younger version of himself and Merriam sees Stone as the first adult to ever treat him as a friend. But after a couple strange deaths of crew members, Merriam begins to think Stone is a psychopathic madman obsessed with authority. He tries to tell others, but no one believes him, and it only makes Stone angry..

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Plot Keywords:

ship | authority | captain | merchant marine | murder | 

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Taglines:

MYSTERY TERROR! (original print ad - all caps)

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

27 July 1944 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Ghost Ship

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

69 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Very shortly after its theatrical release in December of 1943, producer Val Lewton was sued for plagiarism by Samuel R. Golding and Norbert Faulkner, who claimed that Lewton based his script on a play which they had written and submitted to Lewton's office at the time "The Ghost Ship" was being developed. Although Lewton had the opportunity to settle out of court, he chose to have the case tried. Despite Lewton's claims that their manuscript was returned unread, the court ruled against Lewton and RKO (a decision upheld at appeal), and The Ghost Ship was withdrawn from circulation. It remained unavailable for viewing for the next 50 years.

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Goofs

In a close-up of the porthole in Tertius' cabin, wires to move the detached lid are visible.

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Quotes

3rd Officer Tom Merriam: [Approaches Jim, busy working on the railing] But Jim, can't you understand what I'm trying to tell you?
3rd Officer Tom Merriam: [Jim ignores him, keeps on working] But Louie was your pal - the best friend you had on board. How do you think your pal was caught in the chain locker? Do you think that door closed itself?
Jim Lorne: If you'll take my advice, you'll quit trying to start trouble around here.
3rd Officer Tom Merriam: [the Boatswain's Mate approaches them] Boats, you're a sensible man...
Boats: Listen, kid, quit tryin' to stir up trouble with the crew ...
[...]

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Connections

Edited from King Kong (1933)

User Reviews

A Rebellion Against "Authority"

This was pretty good entry in the Val Lewton Horror Collection, even though it's anything but "horror." This film is a straight drama, almost a film noir about a paranoid sea captain (Richard Dix) who eliminates anyone who disagrees with his "authority," a key word in this movie.

Russell Wade is the captain's protégé, and the story really centers around him and the conflict he has with his boss after he begins to find out what a violent nutcase he happens to be. Along the way, it was noteworthy to see Lawrence Tierney play one of the captain's victims.

Also good was Jacob "Sparks" Winslow as the ship's radio operator. This is an involving film as we root for Wade to expose this captain and to convince others that the man with the "authority" is an evil person.