The Long Voyage Home
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| The Long Voyage Home | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical Poster |
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| Directed by | John Ford |
| Produced by | John Ford |
| Written by | Story: Eugene O'Neill Dudley Nichols |
| Starring | John Wayne |
| Music by | Richard Hageman |
| Cinematography | Gregg Toland |
| Editing by | Sherman Todd |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
| Release date(s) | Nov. 11, 1940 |
| Running time | 105 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
The Long Voyage Home is an American film released in 1940 and directed by John Ford.[1]
The film was adapted by Dudley Nichols from the plays The Moon of the Caribees, In The Zone, Bound East for Cardiff, and The Long Voyage Home by Eugene O'Neill. The original plays by Eugene O'Neill were written around the time of World War I and were among his earliest plays.
Thew picture tells the story of the crew and passengers aboard a freighter.
It stars John Wayne, Thomas Mitchell, Ian Hunter, Barry Fitzgerald, Wilfrid Lawson, John Qualen, Mildred Natwick and Ward Bond.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
The film tells the story of the crew aboard an English cargo ship named the SS Glencairn, during World War II.
On liberty, after a night of drinking in bars in the West Indies, the crew returns to the tramp steamer and set sail for Baltimore.
They're a motley group: a middle-aged Irishman Driscoll (Thomas Mitchell), a young Swedish ex-farmer Ole Olsen (John Wayne), the spiteful steward Cocky Barry Fitzgerald; the brooding Lord Jim-like Englishman Smitty (Ian Hunter), and others.
After the ship picks up a load of dynamite in Baltimore, the rough seas they encounter become nerve-racking to the crew.
They're also concerned that Smitty might be a German spy because he's secretive. After they force Smitty to show them his letters from home it turns out that Smitty is an alcoholic who has run away from his family.
[edit] Critical reception
The film was well received by film critics.
Critic Bosley Crowther, writing for the New York Times, liked the screenplay, the message of the film, and John Ford's direction. He said, "John Ford has truly fashioned a modern Odyssey—a stark and tough-fibered motion picture which tells with lean economy the never-ending story of man's wanderings over the waters of the world in search of peace for his soul...it is harsh and relentless and only briefly compassionate in its revelation of man's pathetic shortcomings. But it is one of the most honest pictures ever placed upon the screen; it gives a penetrating glimpse into the hearts of little men and, because it shows that out of human weakness there proceeds some nobility, it is far more gratifying than the fanciest hero-worshiping fare."[2]
[edit] Cast and ratings
| Ratings | |
|---|---|
| Finland: | K-16 |
| Sweden: | 15 |
| United States: | Approved |
- John Wayne as Ole Olsen
- Thomas Mitchell as Aloysius 'Drisk' Driscoll
- Ian Hunter as Smitty Smith, an alias of Thomas Fenwick
- Barry Fitzgerald as Cocky
- Wilfrid Lawson as Captain
- John Qualen as Axel Swanson
- Mildred Natwick as Freda
- Ward Bond as Yank
- Arthur Shields as Donkeyman
- Joe Sawyer as Davis
- J.M. Kerrigan as Nick, Limehouse Crimp
- Rafaela Ottiano as Bella, a Tropical Woman
- Carmen Morales as Principal Spanish Girl
- Jack Pennick as Johnny Bergman
- Bob Perry as Paddy
[edit] Awards
Wins
- New York Film Critics Circle Awards: NYFCC Award; Best Director, John Ford; 1940.
Nominations
- Academy Awards: Oscar; Best Black-and-White Cinematography, Gregg Toland; Best Special Effects, R.T. Layton (photographic), Ray Binger (photographic) and Thomas T. Moulton (sound); Best Film Editing, Sherman Todd; Best Original Score, Richard Hageman; Best Picture, John Ford; Best Screenplay Writing, Dudley Nichols; 1941.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ The Long Voyage Home at the Internet Movie Database.
- ^ Crowther, Bosley. The New York Times, film review, "The Long Voyage Home, Magnificent Drama of the Sea," October 9, 1940.
