A '35 tale of nautical horror, THE PHANTOM SHIP, directed by the practically unknown Denison Clift, brings us to the beginnings of the HAMMER movies. The events are based on an 1872 maritime enigma.
THE PHANTOM SHIP (yeah, I know it, pals, I have seen the American, shorter version) is a very curious and mixed movie—if some of the performances are atrocious and infra—wooden, there are also moments, whole scenes of pure cinematographic brio, gusto, joy and fun. A ship, whose name makes the humblest mariners shrink, sails with a shanghaied crew; the captain is played by an execrable actor. On board the ship the captain travels with his bride; the crew is especially colorful, and the scenes from the mariners' lives are well made. The sea thriller motifs are present—the dreadful lives of the seamen, the anger and tension, the mystical wanderer; so, some of the scenes are surprisingly good, and the movie has gusto and brio, interesting outing.
Lugosi's role, especially, is very good—though he occasionally slips into regular overacting—anyway, his first scenes are impressive, he makes an awesome entrance in this movie . Arthur Margetson is the very annoying captain; Edmund Willard does an excellent role as Bilson. The characters generally have interesting—sounding names.
THE PHANTOM SHIP (yeah, I know it, pals, I have seen the American, shorter version) is a very curious and mixed movie—if some of the performances are atrocious and infra—wooden, there are also moments, whole scenes of pure cinematographic brio, gusto, joy and fun. A ship, whose name makes the humblest mariners shrink, sails with a shanghaied crew; the captain is played by an execrable actor. On board the ship the captain travels with his bride; the crew is especially colorful, and the scenes from the mariners' lives are well made. The sea thriller motifs are present—the dreadful lives of the seamen, the anger and tension, the mystical wanderer; so, some of the scenes are surprisingly good, and the movie has gusto and brio, interesting outing.
Lugosi's role, especially, is very good—though he occasionally slips into regular overacting—anyway, his first scenes are impressive, he makes an awesome entrance in this movie . Arthur Margetson is the very annoying captain; Edmund Willard does an excellent role as Bilson. The characters generally have interesting—sounding names.