The Captain's Table (1959)

A ship's captain is promoted by his company from tramp steamers to their flagship passenger liner. Although he is a thoroughly competent sailor ready to take charge of such a ship, he is ... See full summary »

Director:

Jack Lee

Writers:

Richard Gordon (novel), John Whiting (screenplay)

Stars:

John Gregson, Peggy Cummins, Donald Sinden

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Gregson	...	Captain Ebbs
Peggy Cummins	...	Mrs. Judd
Donald Sinden	...	Shawe-Wilson
Nadia Gray	...	Mrs. Porteous
Maurice Denham	...	Major Broster
Richard Wattis	...	Prittlewell
Reginald Beckwith	...	Burtweed
Lionel Murton	...	Bernie Floate
Bill Kerr	...	Bill Coke
Nicholas Phipps	...	Reddish
Joan Sims	...	Maude Pritchett
Miles Malleson	...	Canon Swingler
John Le Mesurier	...	Sir Angus
James Hayter	...	Earnshaw
June Jago	...	Gwenny Coke

Storyline

A ship's captain is promoted by his company from tramp steamers to their flagship passenger liner. Although he is a thoroughly competent sailor ready to take charge of such a ship, he is less prepared for the social duties the new position involves, not least the way he becomes the target for all the comely unattached women on board.

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Plot Keywords:

ship captain | flirting | fish out of water | culture clash | cruise ship | 

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Taglines:

You can SEA for yourself it's an OCEAN of laughter...and the BIKINI of the end for the captain!

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Genres:

Comedy

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The ship used in the long-shots (and some deck exteriors) was the SS Oronsay built in 1951 for the Orient Line. One of her sister ships fulfilled the same role in Carry On Cruising (1962).

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Goofs

No cargo ship skipper would be put in command of a passenger ship with no previous experience. In a line with both passenger and cargo vessels it is highly unlikely that a Master would not have served on a passenger ship as a first officer or staff captain, even if he went to a cargo ship for his first command.

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: This film was made with the enthusiastic co-operation of the Orient Line - who gravely disapproved of the whole thing.

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Connections

Featured in Remembering John Gregson (2019)

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Soundtracks

For He's a Jolly Good Fellow
(uncredited)
Traditional

User Reviews

My 390th Review: Passable stock 50s comedy - but one that shows a change in British Cinema

Like many of its ilk Captain's Table looks like a very typical British 50s comedy and while good fun it's certainly no classic. It's very reminiscent of the Love Boat TV series with a cast of Britain's best it should shine - but it's all just for laughs. From a running jokes about Bridge players, to Donald Sinden's womaniser, it's all pretty much what you'd expect The women are the stronger characters here, and the plot is all about them trying to land the new captain. Fun but hardly original.

However, and it's a huge however, it is one of a handful of films that should be watched as being one of the better examples of the transition in British Cinema from social comedies to the more bawdy comedy of Carry On. You can actually see right up on screen the change coming and the difference between Genevieve, School For Scoundrels, Passport to Pimlico, and the Carry On films. The comedy is not Carry On saucy yet, but sex is a real theme throughout. No one foot on the floor cinema here. No coyness. There are bikinis everywhere and while not saucy it ain't coy either. Something happens in cinema around the Bikini Atoll, 1957, where the Big Bang suddenly does seem to liberate its own double entendre.

The whole of Captain's Table has characters that will become stock in the 1960s, a very camp batman, which Kenneth Williams will make his stock and trade, at the beginning of the film we have a seaman who could be Sid James, and throughout there are touches and ideas that Carry On will take and fly with.

If British Comedy from the 1950s is about class: either upper twits at play or working class succeeding despite authorities, then 1960s is about the triumph of the working man finding status and financial freedom. Captain's Table straddles both these with lots of upper-class twits (the Army Captain in particular) and a more blatant approach.

The film itself is lightweight fluff and fun because of it, but as a record of the changing point in British cinema it holds a place.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 March 1959 (Ireland)

Also Known As:

The Captain's Table

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Rank Organisation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Eastman Color)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1