Atlantic Ferry

1941 film by Walter Forde

  • 6 September 1941 (1941-09-06) (UK)
  • 7 February 1942 (1942-02-07) (U.S.)
CountriesUnited Kingdom
United StatesLanguageEnglish

Atlantic Ferry (alternate U.S. title: Sons of the Sea) is a 1941 British film directed by Walter Forde and starring Michael Redgrave and Valerie Hobson.[2] It was made at Teddington Studios.

Plot

In 1837 Liverpool, brothers Charles and David MacIver have great faith in steam-powered ships. Their first attempt, the coastal freighter Gigantic, proves to be an embarrassing and costly failure, sinking immediately after being launched. David becomes discouraged and, to save their failing shipping firm, agrees to a merger proposed by longtime rival George Burns.

Charles, however, is undaunted, despite being turned down by every banker when he seeks new funding. He gives his share of the family firm to David and sets out on his own. He teams up with American Samuel Cunard and engineer Robert Napier, and they build the RMS Britannia. They win a British mail contract and make the first steamship crossing of the Atlantic, from Liverpool to Boston, in record time, despite a storm that threatens to sink the ship.

Romantic complications ensue when both brothers fall in love with Mary Ann Morison, the daughter of an important government shipping official. She agrees to marry David (before she becomes acquainted with his brother), but it is Charles who wins her heart.

Cast

  • Michael Redgrave as Charles MacIver
  • Valerie Hobson as Mary Ann Morison
  • Griffith Jones as David MacIver
  • Hartley Power as Samuel Cunard
  • Margaretta Scott as Susan Donaldson
  • Bessie Love as Begonia Baggot
  • Milton Rosmer as George Burns
  • Frederick Leister as James Morison
  • Henry Oscar as Josiah Eagles
  • Edmund Willard as Robert Napier
  • Charles Victor as Tim Grogan
  • Frank Tickle as Mr. Donaldson
  • Leslie Bradley as Horatio Stubbs
  • Felix Aylmer as Bank president
  • Joss Ambler as Dr. Lardner

Reception

The film received neutral-to-negative reviews.[3][4][5]

According to Warner Bros. records, it earned $87,000 domestically and $16,000 foreign.[6]

References

  1. ^ Love, Bessie (1977). From Hollywood with Love: An Autobiography of Bessie Love. London: Elm Tree Books. p. 154. OCLC 734075937.
  2. ^ "Atlantic Ferry (1941)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 12 February 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
  3. ^ Anderson, L.C. (25 April 1942). "What the Picture Did for Me". Motion Picture Herald. p. 51. Put this one on the shelf. It won't suit folks who are accustomed to seeing good films made in America.
  4. ^ "Sons of the Sea (1942)". TCM.
  5. ^ "Sons of the Sea (1942)". AllMovie.
  6. ^ The William Shaefer Ledger, Appendix 1, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, (1995) 15:sup1, 1–31 p. 22 DOI: 10.1080/01439689508604551

External links

  • v
  • t
  • e
Films directed by Walter Forde