The Sea Chase (1955)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

John Farrow

Writers:

James Warner Bellah (writer)
Andrew Geer (novel)

Release Date:

4 June 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | War

Tagline:

The elusive Sea Captain and his blonde woman in an explosive, suspense-packed story of high daring on the high seas!

Plot:

As World War II begins, German freighter captain Karl Ehrlich tries to get his ship back to Germany through a gantlet of Allied warships. |

Plot Keywords:

Captain | Ship | Warship | Crew | Fugitive

Cast

John Wayne	...	Capt. Karl Ehrlich
Lana Turner	...	Elsa Keller
David Farrar	...	Cmd. Jeff Napier
Lyle Bettger	...	Chief Officer Kirchner
Tab Hunter	...	Cadet Wesser
James Arness	...	Schlieter
Richard Davalos	...	Cadet Walter Stemme (as Dick Davalos)
John Qualen	...	Chief Engineer Schmitt
Paul Fix	...	Max Heinz
Lowell Gilmore	...	Capt. Evans
Luis Van Rooten	...	Matz
Alan Hale Jr.	...	Wentz (as Alan Hale)
Wilton Graff	...	Counsel General Hepke
Peter Whitney	...	Bachman
Claude Akins	...	Winkler (as Claude Akin)

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Warnercolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (35 mm optical prints) (RCA Sound Recording) | 4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (f) | Argentina:Atp | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:U | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Hawaii, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Prior to the start of filming in Hawaii, John Wayne went scuba diving and developed an ear infection. As a result, he was in severe pain for much of shooting. Many of Wayne's scenes could be shot only on his "good" side, since the infected ear was so swollen, and between takes he had to go lie down to rest from the pain.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: When David Farrar talks about Ehrlich's course options, he says they can rule out the vast Pacific to the west and the Indian Ocean to the east. Sailing from Sydney Australia, the Pacific would be to the East and the Indian Ocean to the West.

Quotes:

Capt. Karl Ehrlich: I won't lie for you!
Counsel General Hepke: Of course not! I wouldn't think of asking you to lie... you haven't had the proper diplomatic training.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in El día de los enamorados (1959)

Very good

It is refreshing to see a movie where the "other" side is treated as human. The story is based on fact. I am not surethat the real Capt. Ehrlich was anti-nazi, but he was a WWI kriegsmarine hero. Anyway Waynes accent not withstanding the movie is entertaining and well worth seeing.