At the beginning of this film, Michael Dunn – the dwarf who serves as commentator – confides to the viewing audience: “this is a ship of fools”. Thus Stanley Kramer sets the tone for another of his portentous cinematic essays, in which he underscores every point and destroys not only any subtlety there was in the original novel, but any real chance that the film had of being taken seriously.
The time is 1933; the setting, a German liner bound from Vera Cruz in South America to Bremerhaven in a Germany just being taken over by the Nazis. Aboard is as motley a collection of passengers as could possibly be imagined.
The paying passengers perform their intricate dance of fate in their staterooms while, outside, housed like cattle in steerage, a horde of unwashed peasants pose a none-too-subtle menace.
Oskar Werner’s portrayal of the ship’s melancholy doctor Willi Schumann won a New York Film Critics Award.
This was Vivien Leigh’s final film before her death in July 1967 at the age of 53. Author Katherine Anne Porter strongly disliked this film of her famous novel, finding it vulgar and shallow.
Mary Treadwell
Vivien Leigh La Condesa
Simone Signoret Rieber
José Ferrer Tenny
Lee Marvin Dr Willi Schumann
Oskar Werner Jenny
Elizabeth Ashley David
George Segal Pepe
José Greco Glocken
Michael Dunn Captain Thiele
Charles Korvin Lowenthal
Heinz Rühmann Frau Hutten
Lilia Skala Amparo
BarBara Luna Lizzi
Christiane Schmidtmer Freytag
Alf Kjellin Lt. Huebner
Werner Klemperer Graf
John Wengraf Frau Schmitt
Olga Fabian Elsa
Gila Golan Lutz
Oscar Beregi Jr. Hutten
Stanley Adams Frau Lutz
Kaaren Verne Johann
Charles De Vries Pastora
Lydia Torea Fat Man
Henry Calvin Carlos
Paul Daniel Woodcarver
David Renard Ric
Rudy Carrela Rac
Silvia Marino
Director
Stanley Kramer
Video
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Mary Treadwell
