The Captain Hates the Sea is a 1934 comedy film directed by Lewis Milestone and released by Columbia Pictures.[2][3] The film, which involves a Grand Hotel-style series of intertwining stories involving the passengers on a cruise ship, was the last feature film of silent film icon John Gilbert and the first Columbia feature to include The Three Stooges (Curly Howard, Moe Howard and Larry Fine) in the cast as the ship's orchestra. The film also stars Victor McLaglen, Arthur Treacher, Akim Tamiroff, Leon Errol and Walter Connolly.[4][5]
| The Captain Hates the Sea | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Lewis Milestone |
| Screenplay by | Wallace Smith Arnold Belgard |
| Based on | The Captain Hates the Sea 1933 novel by Wallace Smith |
| Produced by | Lewis Milestone |
| Starring | Victor McLaglen Wynne Gibson Alison Skipworth John Gilbert Helen Vinson |
| Cinematography | Joseph H. August |
| Edited by | Gene Milford |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 92 minutes[1] 85 minutes (Sony Pictures Television Print) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot
editAlcoholic newspaperman Steve Bramley boards the ship San Capador for a restful cruise, hoping to quit drinking and begin writing a book. Also on board are Steve's friend Schulte, a private detective hoping to nab criminal Danny Checkett with a fortune in stolen bonds. Steve begins drinking, all the while observing the various stories of other passengers on board, several of whom turn out not to be who they seem to be.
Cast
edit- Victor McLaglen - Junius P. Schulte
- Wynne Gibson - Mrs. Jeddock
- Alison Skipworth - Mrs. Yolanda Magruder
- John Gilbert - Steve Bramley
- Helen Vinson - Janet Grayson
- Fred Keating - Danny Checkett
- Leon Errol - Layton
- Walter Connolly - Captain Helquist
- Tala Birell - Gerta Klangi
- Walter Catlett - Joe Silvers
- John Wray – Mr. Jeddock
- Claude Gillingwater – Judge Griswold
- Emily Fitzroy – Mrs. Victoria Griswold
- Donald Meek - Josephus Bushmills
- Luis Alberni – Juan Gilboa
- Akim Tamiroff – General Salazaro
- Arthur Treacher – Major Warringforth
- Inez Courtney – Flo
- G. Pat Collins – Donlin
- The Three Stooges – Orchestra Musicians
Production
editDuring production, the film went over budget due in large part to the alcohol-fueled partying by Gilbert, McLaglen, Errol, Catlett and Connolly. Harry Cohn, the head of Columbia, became alarmed and sent a cable to Lewis Milestone that read: "Hurry up! The cost is staggering!" Milestone, in turn, sent a cable to Cohn that read: "So is the cast!"[6][7]
The exterior footage of the San Capeador (filmed at San Pedro Harbor) would be recycled in the Three Stooges' short Dunked in the Deep.[8]
A DVD of The Captain Hates the Sea was released on August 2, 2011, by Sony.[5]
References
edit- ^ threestooges.net
- ^ Variety film review; December 4, 1934, page 12.
- ^ Harrison's Reports film review; December 1, 1934, page 191.
- ^ New York Times review
- ^ a b Film Threat review
- ^ Medved, Harry & Michael. "The Hollywood Hall of Shame," Perigree Books, 1984. ISBN 0-399-50714-0
- ^ Thomas, Bob, "King Cohn: The Life and Times of Harry Cohn," G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1967.
- ^ Solomon, Jon (2000). The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion. Glendale, California: Comedy III Productions, Inc. p. 309. ISBN 0971186804.
External links
edit- The Captain Hates the Sea at IMDb
- The Captain Hates the Sea at AllMovie
- The Captain Hates the Sea at the TCM Movie Database
- The Captain Hates the Sea at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
 | This 1930s comedy film–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |