Lifeboat (1944)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

John Steinbeck (by)
Jo Swerling (screenplay)

Release Date:

28 January 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller | War

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

German | U Boat | Survivor | Nurse | Radio Operator

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 win

Cast

Tallulah Bankhead	...	Connie Porter
William Bendix	...	Gus
Walter Slezak	...	Willy
Mary Anderson	...	Alice MacKenzie
John Hodiak	...	Kovac
Henry Hull	...	Rittenhouse
Heather Angel	...	Mrs.Higley
Hume Cronyn	...	Sparks
Canada Lee	...	Joe

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (re-rating) (1989) | Australia:PG | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:Approved (certificate #9598) | Brazil:12 | Argentina:16 | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | Peru:18

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

During filming, several of the crew members noted that actress Tallulah Bankhead was not wearing underwear. When advised of this situation, director Alfred Hitchcock observed, "I don't know if this is a matter for the costume department, makeup, or hairdressing."

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Talulah offers to use her diamond bracelet as a fishing lure, the fish that swallows it is a carp, a fresh water fish, which would be unlikely to strike at a flashy lure anyway since it is a toothless herbivore.

Quotes:

Willy: [fixing her diamond bracelet] Looks like bits of ice.
Connie Porter: I wish they were.
Willy: They're really nothing but a few pieces of carbon crystallized under high pressure at great heat.
Connie Porter: Quite so, if you want to be scientific about it.
Willy: I'm a great believer in science.
Connie Porter: Like tears, for instance. They're nothing but H2O with a trace of sodium chloride.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour: The Celebrity Next Door (#1.2)" (1957)

Soundtrack:

Heidenroslein, Op.3, No.3, D 257

One of Hitchcock's best that rarely gets a mention. Don't overlook this one!

'Lifeboat' must be extremely high on the list of THE most underrated Alfred Hitchcock movies! I very rarely hear anyone talk about this little gem, which is a damn shame as it is as good as many of Hitch's better known films. The plot is simple but the film makes the most of it with inventive direction, a strong script, and an interesting ensemble cast, most of whom are very good. I believe that Tallulah Bankhead irritates many people but I thought she was effective enough and well cast. I must say I was much more interested in Walter Slezak who played the Nazi and John Hodiak the tattooed tough guy. Both were excellent performances that really added to my enjoyment of the movie. Anybody who likes Hitchcock who hasn't seen 'Lifeboat' is in for a treat. Don't overlook this one. It's dated in some ways sure, but still much more entertaining than 90% of today's so-called thrillers. I strongly recommend it.