Captain Lovett ordered his first mate Thompson to get rid of his slave-trading crew and get a more respectable bunch for standard shipping, but when he brings his new bride Nancy aboard he ...
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Title: Slave Ship (1937)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Warner Baxter | ... | Jim Lovett | |
| Wallace Beery | ... | Jack Thompson | |
| Elizabeth Allan | ... | Nancy Marlowe | |
| Mickey Rooney | ... | Swifty | |
| George Sanders | ... | Lefty | |
| Jane Darwell | ... | Mrs. Marlowe | |
| Joseph Schildkraut | ... | Danelo | |
| Miles Mander | ... | Corey | |
| Arthur Hohl | ... | Grimes | |
| Douglas Scott | ... | Boy | |
| Minna Gombell | ... | Mabel | |
| Billy Bevan | ... | Atkins | |
| Francis Ford | ... | Scraps | |
| J. Farrell MacDonald | ... | Proprietor | |
| J.P. McGowan | ... | Helmsman | |
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Plot Summary
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Add Synopsis
Storyline
Captain Lovett ordered his first mate Thompson to get rid of his slave-trading crew and get a more respectable bunch for standard shipping, but when he brings his new bride Nancy aboard he finds the same old setup, including slave trade. Written by Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
16 August 1937 (Sweden) See more »Also Known As:
The Last Slaver See more »Filming Locations:
20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USACompany Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA High Fidelity Recording)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
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(c. 1843) (uncredited)
Music attributed to David T. Shaw
Originally arranged by Thomas A. Beckett
Arranged for the soundtrack by Edward B. Powell
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Wallace Beery was notoriously abusive to the juvenile performers he worked with. For one scene in "Slave Ship" he had to slap his 16 year-old co-star Mickey Rooney in the face. Beery didn't fake the action and, without warning, slapped Rooney so hard he was knocked to the floor, spoiling the take and causing outrage among the crew. Director Tay Garnett took Beery aside and told him that everyone on the set loved Rooney, and that it would be most unfortunate if some lighting equipment were to "accidentally" fall on Beery's head. Beery got the message and behaved himself for the rest of the shoot. Interestingly, Rooney was one of the very few actors to work with Beery who later expressed no resentment towards him. He said, "Not everyone loved him the way I did." See more »Soundtracks
Columbia, The Gem of the Ocean(c. 1843) (uncredited)
Music attributed to David T. Shaw
Originally arranged by Thomas A. Beckett
Arranged for the soundtrack by Edward B. Powell
See more »
Frequently Asked Questions
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In 1860, a mutinous crew forces the captain of a former SLAVE SHIP to return to Africa for another highly profitable human cargo.
Sadly neglected, this is a film with some very good elements indeed. Stirring action, a little romance, a dose of humor and a social conscious are among its strengths. Although the opening shipyard scenes have a rather lean feel to their production values - with the sparse crowd of extras and the rear projection - once the plot moves to shipboard & Africa the film's quality kicks into high gear. The climax, with its gunplay & explosions, is especially exciting. The tying of the slaves to the anchor chain - a horrendous scene - anticipates AMISTAD by about 60 years.
The acting is quite good. Warner Baxter nicely underplays his role as the slaver captain who reforms upon marrying lovely Elizabeth Allan. Rumpled Wallace Beery as the First Mate & spunky Mickey Rooney as a disillusioned cabin boy are a great acting team and tremendous fun to watch. Beery was an actor who could steal a scene from anyone (except the late Marie Dressler), but he almost meets his match in Rooney. The Kid shows the vivacity & talent which would soon catapult him to Hollywood's top box office star.
Joseph Schildkraut scores in a flamboyant role as a foreign slave trader. Jane Darwell is funny in her few moments as Miss Allan's tough old mother. George Sanders plays a sophisticated mutineer & Edwin Maxwell is a nervous auctioneer. The massive Jane Jones is striking - literally - as a Virginia saloonkeeper who refuses to take nonsense from anyone.
In unbilled roles, movie mavens should recognize Lon Chaney, Jr. as a most unfortunate dock worker, and young Matthew `Stymie' Beard, of OUR GANG fame, as a boy on the wharf.
It is ironic, even with the film's sentiment for decent behavior towards Blacks, that 1930's Hollywood was still utterly racist and did not promote equal treatment for African-American performers (Asian actors fared little better). The Studios were still very segregated, Black & White stars rarely socialized on an equal footing, and racial stereotypes abounded in the movie plots. Only occasionally did Black performers' names appear in the credits and then usually at the bottom of the list. SLAVE SHIP preaches a good sermon, but the Hollywood congregation still needed to wake up & deal with its own intolerant behavior.