The Sea Chase (1955)

Director:

John Farrow

Writers:

James Warner Bellah (screenplay) and
John Twist (screenplay) ...
(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 | Warship | Pursuit | Ship | Commander

Cast

John Wayne	...	Captain Karl Ehrlich
Lana Turner	...	Elsa Keller
David Farrar	...	Commander 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	...	Captain 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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Abdullah Abbas	...	News Photographer (uncredited)
Victor Bartell	...	News Photographer (uncredited)
Alma Beltran	...	Beautician (uncredited)
Richard Bender	...	Dining Room Patron (uncredited)
Kenneth Brischof	...	British Sailor (uncredited)
Joe Brooks	...	Seaman (uncredited)
Loren Brown	...	Seaman (uncredited)
Edward Coch	...	Chilean Reporter (uncredited)
Edward Colmans	...	Hotel Manager (uncredited)
Roger Creed	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Jean De Briac	...	French Governor (uncredited)
Gloria Dea	...	Señorita (uncredited)
Pilar Del Rey	...	Beautician (uncredited)
John Dodsworth	...	British Officer of the Watch (uncredited)
Isabelle Dwan	...	Señorita (uncredited)
Harold Dyrenforth	...	Dutch Reporter (uncredited)
Anthony Eustrel	...	British Vice-Admiral (uncredited)
James Fairfax	...	Signal Yeoman (uncredited)
Nacho Galindo	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Lee Gotch	...	Singer (uncredited)
A. Cameron Grant	...	Kruse (uncredited)
Stuart Holmes	...	Watchman (uncredited)
Renate Hoy	...	Fraulein (uncredited)
John Indrisano	...	Sub-Lieutenant (uncredited)
Eddie Le Baron	...	News Photographer (uncredited)
Bill Lee	...	Singer (uncredited)
Bruce Lester	...	Petty Officer (uncredited)
Ray Linn Jr.	...	Singer (uncredited)
Frank Losee Jr.	...	Seaman (uncredited)
Lucita	...	Señorita (uncredited)
Richard Lupino	...	British Officer of the Watch (uncredited)
Hank Mann	...	Norwegian Radio Listener (uncredited)
Gavin Muir	...	British Officer of the Watch (uncredited)
James O'Hara	...	Sub-Lieutenant (uncredited)
John O'Malley	...	Hawkinson (uncredited)
Patrick O'Moore	...	British Officer of the Watch (uncredited)
Tudor Owen	...	Trawler Survivor (uncredited)
Josephine Parra	...	Señorita (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	...	Baldhead (uncredited)
Joey Ray	...	Sub-Lieutenant (uncredited)
William Reeves	...	Singer (uncredited)
Gail Robinson	...	Seaman (uncredited)
John Sheffield	...	Dining Room Patron (uncredited)
Charles Shrouder	...	Singer (uncredited)
Fred Stromsoe	...	Mueller (uncredited)
Gilchrist Stuart	...	Fisherman (uncredited)
Tony Travers	...	Sub-Lieutenant (uncredited)
Teresa Tudor	...	Fraulein (uncredited)
Charles Wagenheim	...	American Reporter (uncredited)
Adam Williams	...	Kruger - Wireless Operator (uncredited)
Trude Wyler	...	Maid (uncredited)

Directed by
John Farrow

Writing credits
James Warner Bellah		(screenplay) and
John Twist		(screenplay)
Andrew Geer		(novel)

Produced by
John Farrow	....	producer

Original Music by
Roy Webb

Cinematography by
William H. Clothier		(director of photography) (as William Clothier)

Film Editing by
William H. Ziegler		(as William Ziegler)
Owen Marks		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Franz Bachelin

Set Decoration by
William Wallace

Makeup Department
Gordon Bau	....	makeup artist
Web Overlander	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Norman Pringle	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Myrl Stoltz	....	hairdresser (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Emmett Emerson	....	assistant director
Russell Llewellyn	....	assistant director
Gilbert Mandelik	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Herbert Cheek	....	prop shop (uncredited)
John Ciorga	....	swing gang (uncredited)
Henry H. Fuhrman	....	carpenter foreman (uncredited)
George Hopewell	....	painter (uncredited)
J.A. Neil	....	swing gang (uncredited)
Weldon H. Patterson	....	assistant props (uncredited)
Victor Scheckel	....	greensman (uncredited)
Robert Turner	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Francis J. Scheid	....	sound
Edwin S. Hall	....	cableman (uncredited)
Robert J. Miller	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
William Thompson	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Hans F. Koenekamp	....	special effects (as H.F. Koenekamp)
Horace L. Hulburd	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Fred Stromsoe	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Howard Claire	....	second grip (uncredited)
Robert E. Farmer	....	best boy (uncredited)
Ed. J. Gaj	....	camera mechanic (uncredited)
Stuart Higgs	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Robert Johannes	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Maxwell Mann	....	generator operator (uncredited)
Wally Meinardus	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Harold Noyes	....	head grip (uncredited)
Ralph Owen	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Jack Woods	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Moss Mabry	....	wardrobe
Henry Fields	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Adene Henderson	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Joan Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)
Leon Roberts	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

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

Other crew
Joe Barry	....	location manager (uncredited)
Carl P. Benoit	....	location manager (uncredited)
Charles Bonniwell	....	location auditor (uncredited)
Robert Erbes	....	plumber (uncredited)
Ardon Faught	....	first aid (uncredited)
Sam Freedle	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Jackson Parks	....	publicist (uncredited)
Eugene C. Steiner	....	radio operator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros (presents) (A Warner Bros. - First National Picture)

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1955) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1955) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1955) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Afex Filmverleih (1956) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Living Colour Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• People of the Islands, The  our gratitude to: for their assistance in the making of this picture (as the People of the Islands)
• Royal Canadian Navy, The  our gratitude to: for their assistance in the making of this picture (as the Royal Canadian Navy)

Also Known As:

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:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:U | Australia:PG | West Germany:12 (f) | Argentina:Atp | USA:Approved (certificate #17276) | UK:U (video rating) (1995) (1996)

Filming Locations:

Hawaii, USA

Company:

Warner Bros

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:

Errors in geography: When David Farrar talks about Ehrlich's course options, he says they can rule out the vast Pacific to the west and the Indian Ocean to the east. Sailing from Sydney Australia, the Pacific would be to the East and the Indian Ocean to the West.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Valentine's Day (1959)

Soundtrack:

Mi Caballero

Heading Home For the Fatherland

1955 marked the last year of John Wayne's streak of being number one at the box office and it was films like The Sea Chase that helped bring about an end to his reign.

I cannot understand for the life of me why John Wayne, as American as they come was cast as a German. Right around the same time there were players like Curt Jurgens or the newly arrived in Hollywood Yul Brynner who would have been far better and believable in the role of freighter captain Karl Ehrlich. Brynner in fact later on did quite well in the film Morituri playing a German freighter captain. James Mason would have done well also. What was the Duke thinking.

Offhand I can only think of three films in which he played a non-American, this one, The Long Voyage Home, and The Conqueror. Of course The Conqueror was one of the biggest flops in film history with Wayne as Genghis Khan. He did all right in The Long Voyage Home, but it's a small part in an ensemble production. John Ford must have been very patient with him getting that proper Swedish accent there. Wayne did not have Robert Mitchum's ear for dialect. In fact Mitchum might have been able to play Karl Ehrlich.

The story starts in Sydney harbor right before the Nazis march into Poland. With war talk in the air, Captain David Farrar visits his old friend Wayne on his tramp steamer and he brings his new fiancé, Lana Turner. Wayne knows her to be an adventuress and probably an agent for the Nazis. He tells her to leave Farrar while the leaving is good, little dreaming he'd be asked by the German consul to transport Turner back to Germany.

Wayne sneaks his ship out of Sydney Harbor and the Royal Navy gives chase. While stopping at an island for supplies, second officer Lyle Bettger, a hardened Nazi, murders the survivors of a fishing vessel who were stranded there. Of course the atrocity redounds to Wayne's ship and gives the Royal Navy real reason to pursue.

David Farrar is a fine British sea captain in the best stiff upper lip tradition. Of course Lyle Bettger adds to that wonderful group psychotics he developed a patent on during the fifties. Lana Turner is well cast in her role as femme fatale.

A whole lot of young players are in the crew of Wayne's ship like James Arness, Tab Hunter, Richard Davalos, and Alan Hale, Jr. When the ship stops and makes some repairs and provisions, the crew is put to work cutting down trees. Lots of topless beefcake for the audience there.

In addition Richard Davalos has a very touching death scene, probably the acting highlight of the film.

It's not the worst film John Wayne ever did, but fans of the eternal Duke will find his playing a German incongruous to say the least.