Lifeboat (1944)

Several survivors of a torpedoed ship find themselves in the same boat with one of the men who sunk it.

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

John Steinbeck (by), Jo Swerling (screenplay),

Stars:

Tallulah Bankhead, William Bendix, Walter Slezak

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 2 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Tallulah Bankhead	...	Constance 'Connie' Porter
William Bendix	...	Gus Smith
Walter Slezak	...	Willy
Mary Anderson	...	Alice MacKenzie
John Hodiak	...	John Kovac
Henry Hull	...	Charles S. Rittenhouse
Heather Angel	...	Mrs. Higgins
Hume Cronyn	...	Stanley 'Sparks' Garett
Canada Lee	...	George 'Joe' Spencer

Storyline

In the Atlantic during WWII, a ship and a German U-boat are involved in a battle and both are sunk. The survivors from the ship gather in one of the boats. They are from a variety of backgrounds: an international journalist, a rich businessman, the radio operator, a nurse, a steward, a sailor and an engineer with communist tendencies. Trouble starts when they pull a man out of the water who turns out to be from the U-boat.

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Plot Keywords:

german | u boat | survivor | radio operator | sea | 

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Taglines:

Who goes Primitive first...A man...Or a woman...adrift in an open boat ?

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Genres:

Thriller | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German French

Release Date:

28 January 1944 (USA)

Also Known As:

Náufragos

Filming Locations:

Florida Keys, Florida, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,590,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Screenwriter John Steinbeck, a noted liberal, was outraged by what he regarded as director Alfred Hitchcock's racism as manifested in his condescension towards the George 'Joe' Spencer character played by Canada Lee.

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Goofs

The fish that is seen underwater going after Connie's gem bait is obviously being pulled to it by a line attached to its mouth, and never opens its mouth to take the object when it makes its "strike".

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Quotes

[first lines]
[indistinct shouting]
John Kovac: Ahoy there!
[climbs into boat]
John Kovac: Lady, you certainly don't look like somebody that's just been shipwrecked.
Connie Porter: Man, I certainly feel like it.

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Connections

Referenced in The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour: The Celebrity Next Door (1957)

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Soundtracks

"Die Meistersinger: Preislied"
(1867) (uncredited)
Written by Richard Wagner

User Reviews

See It for Tallulah

Ms. Bankhead's performance is amazing in this compelling film. In the first scene we are shown astounding destruction at sea from a capsized ship until the camera pans over to a lifeboat where the lone, well-coiffured, mink-draped, all made-up Tallulah is sitting, cross-legged, smoking a cigarette. Then we are shown a close-up of her leg. There's a run in her stocking! She looks more annoyed at that than all the carnage surrounding her! Later on, with more survivors on board and in danger of starving, she worries about how she looks and applies more lipstick! Oh Darling! This is classic cinema and one of the few films of this great lady (she was mostly on stage). John Hodiak (very handsome) is her enemy (at first), while Walter Slezak, Hume Cronin, William Bendix and the others ably support. An astonishing Alfred Hitchcock film.