The Extraordinary Seaman (1969)

Lt. Commander Finchhaven, a ghostly relic from the First World War, he had fallen down dead drunk on his first assignment and been consigned from the great beyond to sail the seas until a ... See full summary »

Director:

John Frankenheimer

Writers:

Hal Dresner, Phillip Rock (screenplay),

Stars:

David Niven, Faye Dunaway, Alan Alda

Cast

Complete credited cast:
David Niven	...	Cmdr. John Finchhaven, RN
Faye Dunaway	...	Jennifer Winslow
Alan Alda	...	Lt. (j.g.) Morton Krim
Mickey Rooney	...	Cook 3 / C W. J. Oglethorpe
Jack Carter	...	Chief Gunners Mate Orville Toole
Juano Hernandez	...	Ali Shar
Manu Tupou	...	Seaman 1 / C Lightfoot Star
Barry Kelley	...	Adm. Barnwell
Leonard O. Smith	...	Dyak
Richard Guizon	...	Dyak
John Cochran	...	Dyak
Jerry Fujikawa	...	Adm. Shimagoshi

Storyline

Lt. Commander Finchhaven, a ghostly relic from the First World War, he had fallen down dead drunk on his first assignment and been consigned from the great beyond to sail the seas until a further opportunity arises to redeem his actions. During the Second World War, he is encountered by a quartet of American seamen that includes Lt. Morton Krim and cook W.J. Oglethorpe. A deal is completed whereby the men will help re-float Finchhaven's command in return for a passage to Australia. They raid a village to secure batteries for the engine and come upon the feisty Jennifer Winslow who offers them aid in return for a passage with the crew. Eventually they reach the open sea. Finchhaven's ghostly status is revealed and Lt. Krim and Jennifer help him to sink a Japanese cruiser.

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Plot Keywords:

ship | philippines | newsreel footage | seaman | gunboat | 

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Taglines:

Stowaway... Sail Away... Laugh Away... Love Away... With Dunaway!

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | War

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

January 1969 (USA)

Also Known As:

Brod fantom

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor) Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Last film of Barry Kelley.

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Connections

Referenced in The King of the Duplicators (1968)

User Reviews

Middle-aged, pompous, reactionary, nationalistic, chess-playing Blimps, but no hawk-eye perception

This absolutely absurd movie was supposedly intended as a message against the War in Vietnam, which was then on the wake. It tried hard to convey the good, old message that any war, including WWII, was as wasteful as stupid. Alan Alda plays a kind of pre-Hawkeye of "MASH" fame, while David Niven is a loony ghost who believes in duty and honor. Decades after the Allies saved the world for the rest of us ungrateful, it became OK for MGM to poke fun at those clumsy Colonel Blimps. Somehow, the POlish Corridor, Auschwitz, Pearl Harbor and the germ warfare experiments conducted in Manchuria by the Japanese became forgotten by the director who had magnificently brought us "The Manchurian candidate", "The train" and so forth. I especially loath the chess game, at the ending. After WWII had taken perhaps 50 million lives, opposing admirals sat down for a game of chess! How would all those buddies who never came home before 1945 have seen this movie? We don't deserve it, Mr. Frankenheimer.