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All at Sea (1957)

Barnacle Bill (original title)
Unrated | | Comedy | 21 December 1957 (USA)
All at Sea Poster
A seasick sea captain commands an amusement pier despite local opposition.

Director:

Charles Frend

Writers:

T.E.B. Clarke (story), T.E.B. Clarke (screenplay)

Stars:

Alec Guinness, Harry Locke, Frederick Piper | See full cast & crew »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alec Guinness ... Capt. William Horatio Ambrose
Harry Locke ... Reporter
Frederick Piper Frederick Piper ... Barman
Fred Griffiths Fred Griffiths ... Bus Driver
Gerald Case Gerald Case ... Commander
William Mervyn William Mervyn ... Captain
John Horsley ... First Surgeon
Derek Waring Derek Waring ... Second Surgeon
Donald Pleasence ... Cashier
Newton Blick Newton Blick ... Bank Manager
Irene Browne ... Mrs. Barrington
Percy Herbert ... Tommy
Victor Maddern ... Figg
Harold Goodwin ... Duckworth
Junia Crawford Junia Crawford ... Evie
See full cast »
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Storyline

Captain Ambrose comes from a long line of distinguished sailors...but is all too susceptible to seasickness. After the war, he buys himself a nautical command on shore; a decrepit amusement pier at the British resort town Sandcastle-on-Sea, whose prim town council has outlawed arcade games as a form of gambling! Running the pier like a naval vessel, the captain's determination to make it a modern, going concern meets steady opposition. But with an unexpected new ally, he pursues a remarkable scheme to liberate his "ship" from land authorities... Written by Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

pier | seasickness | arcade | cruise ship | english channel | See All (6) »

Taglines:

The captain preferred the merry times on land to the mermaids at sea !

Genres:

Comedy

Certificate:

Unrated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 December 1957 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

All at Sea See more »

Filming Locations:

Hunstanton Pier, Hunstanton, Norfolk, England, UK See more »
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Box Office

Budget:

$659,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$405,000, 31 December 1958

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$950,000, 31 December 1958
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM),Ealing Studios See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Alec Guinness only made the film as a favor for his friend, director Charles Frend. He later referred to the film as "wretched". See more »

Goofs

When the R.M.S. Arabella splits from the rest of the pier and drops into the sea, it is obviously a model with model figures of Captain Ambrose and Tommy (No. 1). In the next shot they are both in entirely different positions on the now floating R.M.S. Arabella. See more »

Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: LLOYD'S See more »

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User Reviews

Great fun
30 March 2004 | by maxbuck_1999 – See all my reviews

Saw this as "All At Sea" in the mid 1980's and actually had a copy from TV on tape, but lost it. I'd love to have a copy in my video/DVD library, but none to be found... Really fun and a great cast. Guinness plays the part(s) well, and there are lots of familiar faces if you are at all familiar with British comedy, or British Films in general for that matter. I believe that "All At Sea" was the US Title (US release also in 1957). It is interesting to note that it was made the same year as "The Bridge on the River Kwai" and that Percy Herbert also shares the screen with Guinness in both films.
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