Cinema Revisited: The Captain Hates the Sea (1934)
The Captain Hates the Sea.
Directed by Lewis Milestone. Cast: Victor McLaglen, Wynne Gibson, Alison Skipworth, John Gilbert Helen Vinson, Leon Errol, Walter Connolly, The Three Stooges. Running time: 92 minutes. Released by Columbia Pictures on November 2, 1934.
There’s an old story that this film went over budget because cast members McLaglen, Gilbert, Errol, and Connolly were drunk most of the time. Director Lewis Milestone received a telegram from Columbia studio President Harry Cohn that stated: “Hurry up! The cost is staggering!” Milestone wired back, “So is the cast!”
The story deals with a downtrodden alcoholic writer (John Gilbert) who boards a ship in order to quit drinking and start writing again. A friend of his, a detective (Victor McLaglen), is also on board. He is trying capture a man (Fred Keaton) who stole a fortune in bonds, and is also on the ship. The film is similar to the popular MGM feature “Grand Hotel” (1932) in that it deals with several different sub-plots, all tied together by the continued observations of the writer.
John Gilbert, in his last film, has a relaxed demeanor as his character effectively anchors the narrative. But unlike “Grand Hotel,” this film is not always cohesive. Sometimes the tangential sub-plots distract from one-another and become confusing. Often the film is dull and meandering. Gilbert is good as the observer, but that which he is observing is not always very compelling for the viewer. This is not the fault of the cast. Along with the featured players, the film is supported by such welcome veterans as Akim Tamiroff, Luis Alberni, Arthur Treacher, and Geneva Mitchell.
Leon Errol was born in Australia, and this is one of the few times he uses his Australian accent as a part of the character. Helen Vinson would often complain in later interviews how the men in Hollywood were so short, they had to stand on a box to appear taller than the 5ft 7 actress. Gilbert was nearly six feet tall, which pleased the actress.
Three Stooges fans are aware of this movie because the trio has a fun cameo. They had just been hired to do their short comedy series for Columbia, and were added to this feature as both comic distraction and promotion. Their appearance is fun, but fleeting.
It is John Gilbert who stands out among the cast, even though he is fourth-billed. Once among the most popular, highest paid stars at MGM, Gilbert was now relegated to supporting billing in a feature at a smaller studio. He’s good, but his stardom had ended. He died two years after making this film, an inauspicious end for one of Hollywood’s great stars.