The Sea Chase (1955)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

John Farrow

Writers:

James Warner Bellah (writer)
Andrew Geer (novel)
(more)

Release Date:

4 June 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | War

Tagline:

The elusive Sea Captain and his blonde woman in an explosive, suspense-packed story of high daring on the high seas!

Plot:

As World War II begins, German freighter captain Karl Ehrlich tries to get his ship back to Germany through a gantlet of Allied warships. |

Plot Keywords:

Captain | Ship | Warship | Crew | Fugitive

Cast

John Wayne	...	Capt. Karl Ehrlich
Lana Turner	...	Elsa Keller
David Farrar	...	Cmd. Jeff Napier
Lyle Bettger	...	Chief Officer Kirchner
Tab Hunter	...	Cadet Wesser
James Arness	...	Schlieter
Richard Davalos	...	Cadet Walter Stemme (as Dick Davalos)
John Qualen	...	Chief Engineer Schmitt
Paul Fix	...	Max Heinz
Lowell Gilmore	...	Capt. Evans
Luis Van Rooten	...	Matz
Alan Hale Jr.	...	Wentz (as Alan Hale)
Wilton Graff	...	Counsel General Hepke
Peter Whitney	...	Bachman
Claude Akins	...	Winkler (as Claude Akin)
John Doucette	...	Bos'n
Alan Lee	...	Brounck
Adam Williams	...	Kruger, wireless operator
James O'Hara	...	British officer
Gavin Muir	...	British officer
Anthony Eustrel	...	British high official
Tudor Owen	...	Trawler survivor
Jean De Briac	...	French governor
Patrick O'Moore	...	Warship officer
John Sheffield
Gil Perkins
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gloria Dea	...	Spanish Girl (uncredited)
Renate Hoy	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
John Farrow

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
James Warner Bellah		writer
Andrew Geer		novel
John Twist		writer

Produced by
John Farrow	....	producer

Original Music by
Roy Webb

Cinematography by
William H. Clothier		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
William H. Ziegler		(as William Ziegler)

Art Direction by
Franz Bachelin

Set Decoration by
William Wallace

Makeup Department
Gordon Bau	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Emmett Emerson	....	assistant director
Russell Llewellyn	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Francis J. Scheid	....	sound

Special Effects by
Hans F. Koenekamp	....	special effects (as H.F. Koenekamp)

Stunts
Fred Stromsoe	....	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Moss Mabry	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Maurice De Packh	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Leonid Raab	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Bonnie Lou Williams	....	singing voice: Lana Turner (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1955) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. (1955) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Living Colour Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Warnercolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (35 mm optical prints) (RCA Sound Recording) | 4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (f) | Argentina:Atp | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:U | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Hawaii, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Prior to the start of filming in Hawaii, John Wayne went scuba diving and developed an ear infection. As a result, he was in severe pain for much of shooting. Many of Wayne's scenes could be shot only on his "good" side, since the infected ear was so swollen, and between takes he had to go lie down to rest from the pain.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The aircraft used to fly Cdr. Napier out of Valparaiso, was a DC-3 type aircraft with American markings.

Quotes:

Capt. Karl Ehrlich: Did anyone ever tell you that you're beautiful when you're angry?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in El día de los enamorados (1959)

"Auf Wiedersehen, Sidney"

No, John Wayne and his crew don't speak German, but what do you expect of a film from this era? In Ben-Hur the Romans speak with British accents and the Jews speak with American accents. The same line of reasoning applies here. The English have British accents and the Germans have American accents. Accept it and move on. Once one can get past the accent issue, this is really quite a good film. All of the credit in the world goes to John Wayne for making this film. Made in the mid-50's, just ten years after the end of World War II, I would imagine it was not very popular subject matter at the time. It is one of the few Hollywood films to try to show the Second World War from the German point of view. Karl Ehrlich (Wayne) is a man torn between his love for his country and his personal hatred for the ideals of Hitler. He is an officer of the old school Prussian monarchy still loyal to the Kaiser who does not like the new regime. As Jeff Napier (David Farrar) notices, he flies the swastika outside on his ship but still has the old imperial battle flag hanging in his cabin. He must decide whether to allow his ship to be taken or defy the entire British Navy and try to bring the Ergenstrasse back safely to the Fatherland. The flag he flies during the final battle is a telling sign of where his loyalty lies and (in my opinion) is Ehrlich's explanation for his actions. An interesting, intriguing, and thought-provoking war film.