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IMDbPro

The Beachcomber

Original title: Vessel of Wrath
  • 19381938
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 32m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
332
YOUR RATING
Charles Laughton, Elsa Lanchester, and Dolly Mollinger in The Beachcomber (1938)
Drama
In the Dutch islands, the sister of a pious missionary attempts to reform a womanizing, drunken beach bum.In the Dutch islands, the sister of a pious missionary attempts to reform a womanizing, drunken beach bum.In the Dutch islands, the sister of a pious missionary attempts to reform a womanizing, drunken beach bum.
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
332
YOUR RATING
    • Erich Pommer
    • W. Somerset Maugham(short story "Vessel of Wrath")
    • Bartlett Cormack(written for the screen by)
    • B. Van Thal(scenario)
  • Stars
    • Charles Laughton
    • Elsa Lanchester
    • Robert Newton
    • Erich Pommer
    • W. Somerset Maugham(short story "Vessel of Wrath")
    • Bartlett Cormack(written for the screen by)
    • B. Van Thal(scenario)
  • Stars
    • Charles Laughton
    • Elsa Lanchester
    • Robert Newton
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 12User reviews
    • 7Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Photos8

    Charles Laughton and Elsa Lanchester in The Beachcomber (1938)
    Charles Laughton in The Beachcomber (1938)
    Charles Laughton and Elsa Lanchester in The Beachcomber (1938)
    Charles Laughton, Elsa Lanchester, Rosita Garcia, and Dolly Mollinger in The Beachcomber (1938)
    Charles Laughton and Rosita Garcia in The Beachcomber (1938)
    Charles Laughton and Elsa Lanchester in The Beachcomber (1938)
    Charles Laughton, Mah Foo, Rosita Garcia, Dolly Mollinger, and Ley On in The Beachcomber (1938)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Charles Laughton
    Charles Laughton
    • Ginger Ted' Wilson
    Elsa Lanchester
    Elsa Lanchester
    • Martha Jones
    Robert Newton
    Robert Newton
    • The Controleur
    Tyrone Guthrie
    Tyrone Guthrie
    • Dr. Owen Jones
    Eliot Makeham
    Eliot Makeham
    • The Native Head Clerk
    Dolly Mollinger
    Dolly Mollinger
    • Lia
    D.A. Ward
    • Albert
    J. Solomon
    • Sgt. Henrik
    S. Alley
    • Mechanic
    • (uncredited)
    Dudley
    • Dog
    • (uncredited)
    Mah Foo
    • Ho
    • (uncredited)
    Rosita Garcia
    Rosita Garcia
    • Kati
    • (uncredited)
    Fred Groves
    • Dutch Sea Captain
    • (uncredited)
    Ley On
    • Ah King
    • (uncredited)
      • Erich Pommer
      • W. Somerset Maugham(short story "Vessel of Wrath")
      • Bartlett Cormack(written for the screen by)
      • B. Van Thal(scenario) (uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The nursery rhyme that Ted quotes is 'Jack Sprat' (The most common version of the rhyme is: Jack Sprat could eat no fat./ His wife could eat no lean./ And so between them both, you see,/ They licked the platter clean)
    • Goofs
      The shadows on Ginger Ted's verandah change between shots in the opening scenes. In the first shot most of the verandah is in muted shadow, in the next most of it is in full sun with clear shadows. Later, his dog is seen sitting on the verandah in full sun late in the day with the shadows in the same place as earlier.
    • Connections
      Remade as The Beachcomber (1954)
    • Soundtracks
      Sailing, Sailing (Over the Bounding Main)
      (uncredited)

      Sung by Ginger Ted

      Written by Godfrey Marks

    User reviews12

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    Devilishly Funny Comedy Classic
    Charles Laughton was a short, fat, and ugly man. He was the complete anthesis of what you would expect a lead actor to be. However, despite these considerable handicaps, his tremendous acting ability and amazing range of emotions catapulted him to the top of the acting chain in the 1930s. His wife, Elsa Lancaster, was also a very fine actress, as evidenced by her superior work in The Bride of Frankenstein, an underrated film. Add these two giants to the unparalleled writing talent of Somerset Maugham, and you have an unbeatable combination for a classic comedy in The Beachcomber. No one ever did colonials better than Maugham. His incisive writing captured the true essence of missionary work and its irritating side-effects on native cultures. All of his characters have great depth. This is the best of all beachcomber films. It is not to be missed. Also billed as The Vessel of Wrath.
    helpful•3
    1
    • arthur_tafero
    • Aug 11, 2018

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 25, 1938 (United States)
      • United Kingdom
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • British International Pictures Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK
    • Production company
      • Mayflower Pictures Corporation
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 32 minutes
      • Black and White

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    Charles Laughton, Elsa Lanchester, and Dolly Mollinger in The Beachcomber (1938)
    Top Gap
    By what name was The Beachcomber (1938) officially released in Canada in English?
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