The World in His Arms (1952)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Raoul Walsh

Writers:

Rex Beach (novel)
Borden Chase (writer)

Release Date:

4 July 1952 (France)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | History

Plot:

Roistering sea captain Jonathan Clark, who poaches seal pelts from Russian Alaska, meets and woos Russian countess Marina in 1850 San Francisco...

Plot Keywords:

Sea | Prince | Captain | Countess | Race

Cast

Gregory Peck	...	Capt. Jonathan Clark
Ann Blyth	...	Countess Marina Selanova
Anthony Quinn	...	Portugee
John McIntire	...	Deacon Greathouse
Carl Esmond	...	Prince Semyon
Andrea King	...	Mamie
Eugenie Leontovich	...	Anna Selanova
Hans Conried	...	Eustace, Hotel Clerk
Rhys Williams	...	Eben Cleggett
Sig Ruman	...	General Ivan Vorashilov
Gregory Gaye	...	Colonel Paul Shushaldin (as Gregory Gay)
Bill Radovich	...	Ogeechuk
Bryan Forbes	...	William Cleggett
Henry Kulky	...	Peter, Russian Servant

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (nf) | Norway:16 | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Quotes:

Jonathan Clark: Let's see what part of Russia you come from.
[leans in to kiss her]
Countess Marina Selanova: [moving away] Not from that part.
Jonathan Clark: Oh?
Countess Marina Selanova: Perhaps, not so quickly. In my part of Russia it is the custom to at least ask the girl's name before you kiss her.
Jonathan Clark: Oh... Well, you see, in America we kiss first and ask later.

I like it!

Fascinating movie! I felt pleasure in this story. Though at first I did not want to watch it. I'm the Russian and I believe Hollywood makes fables about Russia as it had turned out with this movie. There were a trite Russian tavern, cossacks, balalaikas, the plaintive Russian songs, the funny Russian aristocracy. There were some Russian names sounding strange for the Americans. The Americans do not know that the Russians have a name and patronymic. The Russian countess is not too bad, even it was possible to keep noble pallor and some aristocratic manners. The countess' servant was speaking in Russian almost without accent. Though the countess' dresses were in a British manner. But above all it was LOVE. And Alaska, sold to the USA, played not such large role. Certainly, it was impossible for the Russian, Orthodox countess got married with the Catholic American in a church. And Marina Selanova and Prince Semyon wanted to get married into strange place that was absolutely not similar to an orthodox temple. But it did not irritate me. It would be better, if this movie was made in Russia. But sometimes I believed this movie was made in Russia. I believe Gregory Peck was the best choice for this role. The American steadfast captain and the Russian charming countess were beautiful couple. With what other American could the Russian countess fall in love? Jonathan Clark looked very well and manly. He was smart, just, thoughtful and slightly imprudent. The final scene was dazzling beautiful and it had no equal even DiCaprio's Titanic. I saw this scene at picture and decided to watch this movie and I did not regret. I'm so sorry it was not released on DVD. But in Russia it is easy to buy VHS. We like it!