Based on an actual happening, a mysterious sailing ship with no crew is discovered in the middle of the ocean. The movie unravels the puzzle behind the crew's disappearance.
I wanted to shower after this 60-minutes. This has got to be the grungiest ship's crew in movie annals. The men actually look like they were shanghaied from a waterfront fleabag. Certainly, there was no attempt by the British production to sanitize the visuals, either the men or life aboard ship. Apparently, only an edited version of the 1936 original survives. Thus, the narrative is pretty choppy, leaving holes in the storyline (e.g. characters who just disappear without explanation). Still, between the fragmented narrative, the muddy photography, and the ugly, cramped shipboard, the effect is almost surreal. While, Lugosi's mystical traveler adds an additional slice of exotica.
Too bad we'll probably never know what happened aboard the real Marie Celeste. I remember being fascinated as a boy by the mysterious account of a deserted ship with meals still lying on serving tables. It's as though the crew were suddenly plucked into thin air. Anyway, this movie account is pretty fanciful, but still manages an unsettling aura, thanks in large part to Lugosi's disturbing changes. This edited version is no artistic triumph but does manage a weird appeal all its own.
I wanted to shower after this 60-minutes. This has got to be the grungiest ship's crew in movie annals. The men actually look like they were shanghaied from a waterfront fleabag. Certainly, there was no attempt by the British production to sanitize the visuals, either the men or life aboard ship. Apparently, only an edited version of the 1936 original survives. Thus, the narrative is pretty choppy, leaving holes in the storyline (e.g. characters who just disappear without explanation). Still, between the fragmented narrative, the muddy photography, and the ugly, cramped shipboard, the effect is almost surreal. While, Lugosi's mystical traveler adds an additional slice of exotica.
Too bad we'll probably never know what happened aboard the real Marie Celeste. I remember being fascinated as a boy by the mysterious account of a deserted ship with meals still lying on serving tables. It's as though the crew were suddenly plucked into thin air. Anyway, this movie account is pretty fanciful, but still manages an unsettling aura, thanks in large part to Lugosi's disturbing changes. This edited version is no artistic triumph but does manage a weird appeal all its own.