Moontide (1942)

After a drunken binge on the San Pablo waterfront, longshoreman Bobo fears he may have killed a man. In his uncertainty, he takes a job on an isolated bait barge. That night, he rescues ... See full summary »

Directors:

Archie Mayo, Fritz Lang (uncredited)

Writers:

John O'Hara (screen play), Willard Robertson (from the novel by)

Stars:

Jean Gabin, Ida Lupino, Thomas Mitchell

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jean Gabin	...	Bobo
Ida Lupino	...	Anna
Thomas Mitchell	...	Tiny
Claude Rains	...	Nutsy
Jerome Cowan	...	Dr. Frank Brothers
Helene Reynolds	...	Woman on boat
Ralph Byrd	...	Rev. Wilson
William Halligan	...	Bartender
Victor Sen Yung	...	Takeo (as Sen Yung)
Chester Gan	...	Henry Hirota
Robin Raymond	...	Mildred
Arthur Aylesworth	...	Pop Kelly
Arthur Hohl	...	Jennings
John Kelly	...	Mac
Ralph Dunn	...	Policeman

Storyline

After a drunken binge on the San Pablo waterfront, longshoreman Bobo fears he may have killed a man. In his uncertainty, he takes a job on an isolated bait barge. That night, he rescues lovely Anna from a watery suicide attempt and installs her on the barge. But Tiny, Bobo's longtime pal and parasite, hopes to drive Anna away before domestic bliss tears Bobo away from him; the still unsolved murder may be just the wedge Tiny needs. There's fog on the water and evil brewing...

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Plot Keywords:

attempted suicide | frenchman abroad | friend | drunkenness | longshoreman | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 May 1942 (USA)

Also Known As:

Nacht im Hafen

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film's earliest documented telecasts took place in Rock Island IL Friday 19 February 1960 on WHBF (Channel 4), in Scranton/Wilkes Barre PA Thursday 3 March 1960 on WDAU (Channel 22), in Madison WI Sunday 6 March 1960 on WISC (Channel 3), and in Atlanta GA Saturday 19 March 1960 on WSB (Channel 2).

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Connections

Referenced in Choose Me (1984)

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Soundtracks

It Had to Be You
(uncredited)
Music by Isham Jones
Played on player-piano in hotel

User Reviews

It bit like Gabin's earlier successes merged with a Hollywood production.

Unlike many Europeans in the entertainment world who were displaced by the Nazis and came to America (such as Fritz Lang and Billy Wilder), Jean Gabin was handicapped as he was a leading man whose English was obviously poor. As for directors, the public would never know and with some other foreign actors, they were able to suppress their accents better. But, with his performance in "Moontide", you can see why the very talented Gabin made very few films during his exile from Nazi-occupied France. His English isn't terrible--but it isn't as good as an actor like, say, Charles Boyer. It's a shame, as his pre- and post-war films are often amazingly good.

Bobo (Gabin) is a barge operator who likes to drink and fight--and you see him doing this when the film begins. After waking up from a binge, he rescues a woman, Anna, who is trying to kill herself (Ida Lupino) he takes it upon himself to be responsible for her--which is quite touching. However, the nasty character Tiny (Thomas Mitchell) is always nearby--because he's holding some secret about Bobo--and Bobo has to put up with Tiny--even though there isn't much to like about Tiny. And, when Bobo and Anna marry, Tiny is sure to let his malevolence boil over and tragedy ensues.

This film is very much unlike a Hollywood film as far as the plot goes. It bears more similarity to some of Gabin's French-language films like "Port of Shadows" and "La Bête Humaine"--very dark films about madness and murder. So, while it's a bit like an early American example of film noir, it is more like a hybrid of this and the films than helped to make Gabin famous. Dark, brooding, very adult for the time and genuinely odd--this film is worth seeing--especially for its wonderful cinematography.

By the way, who came up with the names for the characters in this film?! You've got Bobo, Tiny and Nutsy--an interesting assortment to say the least!

Also, on the DVD is a documentary about the making of the film. It talks about the odd circumstances surrounding the film and its star. It turns out that the book on which the movie was based was MUCH more adult and never could have been brought to the screen at that time--though quite a bit of the book still made it to the film but was more implied than explicitly stated. It's well worth seeing.