Plymouth Adventure

Plymouth Adventure
original film poster
Directed by	Clarence Brown
Produced by	Dore Schary
Written by	Helen Deutsch)
Based on	The Plymouth Adventure 1950 novel by Ernest Gébler
Starring	Spencer Tracy Gene Tierney Van Johnson Leo Genn
Music by	Miklós Rózsa
Cinematography	William H. Daniels
Edited by	Robert J. Kern
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release dates	November 14, 1952 (1952-11-14)
Running time	105 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$3,185,000^[1]
Box office	$3,025,000^[2]^[1]

Plymouth Adventure is a 1952 Technicolor drama film with an ensemble cast starring Spencer Tracy, Gene Tierney, Van Johnson and Leo Genn, made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,^[3]^[4] directed by Clarence Brown, and produced by Dore Schary. The screenplay was adapted by Helen Deutsch from the novel The Plymouth Adventure by Ernest Gébler. The supporting cast includes Barry Jones, Dawn Addams, Lloyd Bridges and John Dehner.

The film is notable as being the last film directed by veteran director Clarence Brown.

Plot

The film tells a fictionalized version of the Pilgrims' voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to North America aboard the Mayflower. During the long sea voyage, Capt. Christopher Jones (Spencer Tracy) falls in love with Dorothy Bradford (Gene Tierney), the wife of William Bradford (Leo Genn). The love triangle is resolved in a tragic way at the film's conclusion. Ship's carpenter John Alden (Van Johnson) -- said to be the first person to set foot on Plymouth Rock in 1620—catches the eye of Priscilla Mullins (Dawn Addams), one of the young Pilgrims following William Bradford. Alden ultimately wins Priscilla in another, if subtler, triangle with Miles Standish (Noel Drayton). Lloyd Bridges provides comic relief as the first-mate Coppin, and child star Tommy Ivo gives a touching performance as young William Button, the only passenger to die on the actual voyage across the storm-swept Atlantic, who, according to this film, wanted to be the first to sight land and to become a king in the New World. “I’m going to be the first to see land. Keep me eye peeled, I will. Then I’ll be the first. It’ll be like the Garden of Eden and I’m going to be the first to see it”.

Cast

Paul Cavanagh as Governor John Carver (uncredited)
Don Dillaway as Stephen Hopkins (uncredited)
Elizabeth Flournoy as Rose Standish (uncredited)
Ivis Goulding as Alice Mullins (uncredited)
Harvey M. Guzik as Oceanus Hopkins (uncredited)
Elizabeth Harrower as Elizabeth Hopkins (uncredited)
Kathleen Lockhart as Mary Brewster (uncredited)
Murray Matheson as Christopher Martin (uncredited)
Matt Moore as William Mullins (uncredited)
Hugh Pryne as Samuel Fuller (uncredited)
John Sherman as John Billington (uncredited)
Rhys Williams as Mr. Weston (uncredited)

Reception

According to MGM records the film earned $1,909,000 in the US and Canada and $1,116,000 elsewhere, but because of its high cost ended up incurring a loss of $1,856,000.^[1]

Awards and honors

The picture won the Oscar for Best Effects. The actual model of the Mayflower ship from the movie is on display at the Original Benjamin's Calabash Seafood restaurant in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The model was purchased in an auction in the mid 80's.

References

Notes

1 2 3 The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study .
↑ 'Top Box-Office Hits of 1952', Variety, January 7, 1953
↑ Variety film review; October 22, 1952, page 6.
↑ Harrison's Reports film review; October 25, 1952, page 170.

External links

Plymouth Adventure at the Internet Movie Database
Plymouth Adventure at AllMovie
Plymouth Adventure at the TCM Movie Database
Plymouth Adventure at the American Film Institute Catalog

Films directed by Clarence Brown

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