| Seagulls Over Sorrento (Crest of the Wave) |
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U.S. poster |
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| Directed by | John Boulting Roy Boulting |
| Produced by | John Boulting Roy Boulting |
| Written by | Hugh Hastings (play) Frank Harvey Roy Boulting |
| Starring | Gene Kelly |
| Music by | Miklós Rózsa Ernesto de Curtis (song) |
| Cinematography | Gilbert Taylor |
| Editing by | Max Benedict |
| Distributed by | MGM |
| Release date(s) | 13 July 1954 (London) 10 November (NYC) 6 December (US) |
| Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Seagulls Over Sorrento is a 1954 British wartime drama film made by the Boulting Brothers based on the play of the same name by Hugh Hastings. The film stars Gene Kelly and was one of three made by Kelly in Europe over an 18 month period in order to make use of frozen MGM funds. The cast features John Justin, Bernard Lee and Jeff Richards.
Although the film finished shooting in July 1953, MGM could not release it in the UK until the play finished its London run, which delayed the film's release for almost a year. In the United States, the film was titled Crest of the Wave.
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A small group of British sailors stationed on a Scottish island engaged in top-secret research on a new and dangerous torpedo are joined by a U.S. Navy scientist, Lt. Brad Bradville (Gene Kelly), and his assistants. When several tests of the weapon fail, and men are killed, tensions within the group mount. Bradville must prove that the torpedo can work and win over the British, especially Lt. Rogert Wharton (John Justin), before the Admiralty pulls the plug on the project.
Cast notes:
The original stage play was written by Australian playwright Hugh Hastings and was based on his experiences in World War II.[2] It opened in London's West End on 14 June 1950,[3] and was a hit there,[1] but played for only two weeks on New York's Broadway.[4] Because the play – in which all the characters were British, and the emphasis was more on the enlisted men than in the film – was a hit, MGM retained the title for the film everywhere except in the U.S. and Canada, where the title Crest of the Wave was used.[1]
Although set on a Scottish island, the movie was filmed on the Channel Islands, more specifically on Jersey and Alderney, with interiors filmed at MGM's British studios at Boreham Wood, Elstree.[1] Production took place between 4 May and late July 1953.
Ernesto de Curtis's song "Torna a Sorrento"[5] ("Come Back to Sorrento"), is performed on the concertina by David Orr, and was also used as background music throughout the film.
MGM was contractually obligated not to release the film until Seagulls Over Sorrento finished its West End run, which delayed the film's release until 13 July 1954, almost a year after filming completed. The film then premiered in New York City on 10 November of that year, and went into general American release on 6 December.[6]
An Australian television production of the stage play was produced by Crawford Productions for Melbourne's HSV-7, airing on May 1, 1960.[7] The cast included Brian James, Bill Hodge, Stuart Wagstaff, Frank Taylor, Peter Aanensen, Carl Bleazby, Don Crosby, Mark Kelly, and John Norman. Hodge, James, Taylor, and Bleazby had appeared in the 1952 J.C Williamson production of the play.[8]