All at Sea (1957)

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

1 nomination.

Cast

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

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.

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Plot Keywords:

pier | seasickness | arcade | cruise ship | english channel | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Unrated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although this is an Ealing Studios movie, it was actually shot at the studios at Borehamwood, as the Ealing facility had closed down.

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Goofs

At the end of the movie as Captain Ambrose is being carried up the beach after sailing to shore, he removes the cotton wool from his ears so he can hear the crowd cheering in French. The next shot sees the wool back in his ears, though it is also clearly a dummy being carried shoulder high.

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Quotes

Figg: Is that how they do it in the Navy, sir?
Capt. William Horatio Ambrose: I take it you are never in the service, Figg?
Figg: I never wanted to be. I've spent all my life on a dredger and if you're going to run this pier like a battleship, I shall be sorry I left it.
Capt. William Horatio Ambrose: Well, I am going to run it like a battleship. All the best piers in the country or run naval-style and, under my command, Sandcastle pier will be no exception. I shan't be satisfied until everything is ship-... er... pier-shape and Blackpool-fashion.

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Crazy Credits

Against a background of high seas, the opening credit text rolls with the waves, up off the screen and down under water, with motion so realistic it almost makes the audience seasick.

User Reviews

He approaches the character in a completely serious manner and the results are marvelous.

I've enjoyed most of the Alec Guiness films, especially The Ladykillers. I must say that I wasn't expecting much from this film and it was only because the VCR did not get turned off that I saw it. I believe it to be one of the most amusing films I've ever seen and one of Guiness' best. He approaches the character in a completely serious manner and the results are marvelous. The incongruity of a naval man who gets seasick and dock turned into a "ship" are very funny. At first, the character seems stiff and military, but he is anything but. One of the best scenes is of him dancing with teenagers. Every one of Guiness' Ealing Studios films are gems, but this is the top. This needs to be put out on DVD/VHS.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 December 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

All at Sea

Filming Locations:

Hunstanton Pier, Hunstanton, Norfolk, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$659,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Ealing Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1