The Ghost Ship
In 1943 RKO Studios asked producer Val Lewton, (1904-1951), to create a sequel to his hit 1942 film “Cat People.” Unfortunately many members of the original cast were not immediately available, so the project was delayed. The executives at RKO did not want Lewton and his team to sit idle, so they presented him with an idea. The studio had built an impressive set for the 1939 movie “Pacific Liner” about a shipboard cholera outbreak. The set still stood intact. The executives suggested to Lewton that he make a horror film taking place at sea. The producer came up with a story and had writer Leo Mittler do a treatment which Donald Henderson Clarke turned into a screenplay. In spite of the failure of his last film “The Seventh Victim” Lewton invited Mark Robson, (1913-1978) to direct the picture. He asked the great Richard Dix, (1893-1949), to head the cast. Dix had been a movie star since the silent era, and his name still had drawing power.
This week’s movie was “The Ghost Ship” from RKO in 1943. The story is narrated, strangely enough, by a mute named “Finn,” (Skelton Knaggs), who is incapable of speech but still tells us the tale in voice over. Russell Wade plays “Tom Merriam,” the newly trained merchant marine assigned to the cargo vessel “Altair” as the third officer. The captain is “Will Stone,” (Richard Dix), the experienced commander of the vessel. Merriam is befriended by the radio operator “Jacob ‘Sparks’ Winslow,” (Edmond Glover). At first Stone and Merriam form a bond like father and son, but as Merriam observes the poor choices the captain makes he begins to question the older man’s sanity. When the captain’s actions lead to the death of a crewman Merriam decides to report him to the authorities at their next port. At a preliminary hearing Merriam is overruled, and he decides to leave the ship. When crewman “Billy Radd,” (Sir Lancelot), is set upon by ruffians Merriam comes to his defense and is knocked unconscious. Unaware that Merriam is no longer serving on the “Altair” Billy takes him onboard and puts him in his old cabin. Merriam finds himself trapped on a ship where he no longer has any authority and most of the crew have marked him as a troublemaker. Worse still he is at the mercy of Captain Stone, who is looking for the opportunity to take his revenge!
This is a marvelous thriller! It is tense, exciting and plausible. Richard Dix gives a fascinating performance as the captain who is gradually descending into insanity. The rest of the cast are also excellent, with Wade and Glover as the standouts. The script is flawless, and Robson squeezes every ounce of suspense out of the story. I love this movie!
Critics of the day were mixed, but the initial box office response was positive. Then disaster struck.
Writers Samuel R. Golding and Norbert Faulkner sued Val Lewton for plagiarism. They had written a play called “The Man and his Shadow” which had been performed at the Pasadena Playhouse in 1942. The writers argued that they had presented a copy of their play to Lewton to consider adapting it as a feature film. They argued that Lewton had copied elements of the play into the screenplay for “The Ghost Ship.” Lewton disputed this, but he lost the lawsuit. RKO had to pay the men $25,000 plus $5000 in legal fees. The studio removed the motion picture from distribution on a permanent basis. It never returned to theaters and it wasn’t shown on television. For nearly 50 years RKO withheld the movie from the public.
Then they let the copyright lapse. The movie fell into the public domain.
Now “The Ghost Ship” is readily available on home video and in hidden corners of the internet. The film can finally be appreciated as the masterful thriller that it truly is. I am proud to recommend it.