Phantom Ship (1935)

During a horrific storm at sea, the crew realizes that there is a murderer among them who is killing them off one by one.

Director:

Denison Clift

Writers:

Denison Clift (story), Charles Larkworthy (scenario)

Stars:

Bela Lugosi, Shirley Grey, Arthur Margetson

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bela Lugosi	...	Anton Lorenzen / A. Gottlieb
Shirley Grey	...	Sarah Briggs
Arthur Margetson	...	Capt. Benjamin Briggs
Edmund Willard	...	Toby Bilson
Dennis Hoey	...	Tom Goodschild
George Mozart	...	Tommy Duggan
Johnnie Schofield	...	Peter Tooley
Gunner Moir	...	Ponta Katz
Ben Welden	...	Boas 'Sailor' Hoffman
Clifford McLaglen	...	Capt. Jim Morehead
Bruce Gordon	...	Olly Deveau
Gibson Gowland	...	Andy Gilling
Terence de Marney	...	Charlie Kaye (as Terrence de Marney)
Edgar Pierce	...	Arian Harbens (as J. Edward Pierce)
Herbert Cameron	...	Volkerk Grot

Storyline

During a horrific storm at sea, the crew realizes that there is a murderer among them who is killing them off one by one.

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Plot Keywords:

phantom ship | new york city | psychotronic film | whiskey | shanghaied | 

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Taglines:

A Mystery of the Sea That Has Baffled Three Generations

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Mystery

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ben Welden (Boas "Sailor" Hoffman) was the film's last surviving cast member when he died on October 17, 1997 at the age of 96.

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Goofs

Sarah's sewing machine is a Singer Model 15, which was not introduced until 1895, long after the 1872 date of the story.

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Quotes

Anton Lorenzen: [when questioned at the helm, as to his whereabouts moments earlier] No, I never left the wheel; not for a moment.

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Crazy Credits

Opening cast list: "The famous 'Q' Ship "Mary B. Mitchell" as Mary Celeste."

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Alternate Versions

The U.S. distributor, Guaranteed Pictures Corporation, cut the movie down to 62 minutes and changed the title to "Phantom Ship".

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Connections

Featured in Lugosi: Hollywood's Dracula (1997)

User Reviews

Lugosi In A Great, Though Atypical Role

Denison Clift's "The Mystery Of The Mary Celeste" aka. "Phantom Ship" of 1935 is a great movie starring Bela Lugosi in a great though atypical role. Many people seem to dislike this movie and I don't really see why. Maybe some people have mixed feelings about "Phantom Ship" because Lugosi's character is not the ingenious super-villain he often played, but an unshaven and scruffy sailor. In my opinion, however, Lugosi's role not being typical doesn't downgrade his excellent performance, and "The Mystery Of The Mary Celeste" is a highly atmospheric Horror Mystery and, by the way, one of the first movies produced by the legendary Hammer Film Productions.

The fictional story, which was inspired by the tragic case of the real-life ghost-ship 'Mary Celeste', is of course not historically accurate. Some characters have the names of real-life members of the "Mary Celeste" crew, but the rest of the story is pure fiction. I don't see this as negative either, however. First of all, movies don't always have to be historically accurate to be good. Second, this movie doesn't claim historical accuracy, the beginning clearly says that the story was only inspired by the tragedy of the Mary Celeste.

The great Bela Lugosi is, once again, brilliant in his role, and some of the other cast members, such as Edmund Willard or the heavily tattooed Gunner Moir also deliver great performances."The Mystery Of The Mary Celeste" is impressively filmed, and the dark, sometimes haunting atmosphere and menacing character of the sea are excellently brought to screen. The film's musical score is also great, occasional songs sung by characters contribute to the movie's atmosphere, and the background score in some other scenes contributes to the suspense.

"The Mystery Of The Mary Celeste" is a highly atmospheric, excellently shot and vastly underrated movie. Lugosi fans can't afford to miss this. Highly Recommended! 8/10

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 October 1936 (USA)

Also Known As:

Phantom Ship

Filming Locations:

Falmouth, Cornwall, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hammer Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1