Customer Reviews

The Sea Chase

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In this sea drama John Wayne plays the same type of rugged individualist that he always did but there is a surprise. He plays a loyal German sea captain during the opening days of World War II and does so in a distinctly sympathetic fashion. This may at first seem counterintuitive for John Wayne fans but the key is that he is not a Nazi. In fact, he is an outspoken critic of the Nazi party. That is how he finds himself cashiered from the German navy and in command of a tramp steamer.

The captain finds himself in Australia at the outbreak of the war. He breaks out in an attempt to bring his ship safely back to Germany. Though he loathes the regime, he is a loyal German. Getting to Germany is only the least of his problems. He is saddled by his consulate with the transport of a German spy in the form of Femme Fatale, Lana Turner. To make matters worse, his second officer is an ardent Nazi who thinks nothing of committing the occasional atrocity against shipwrecked seamen. The icing on the cake is the Royal Navy warship that pursues him across the South Pacific with an old family friend aboard her as one of the officers.

Throughout the entire ordeal, Wayne portrays the captain as a man dedicated to his own ideals and his own conception of valor. This makes dealing with Nazis, spies, mutinous crewmen and friend in the opposing navy just that much more difficult.

Wayne is often criticized for playing the same one dimensional character over and over again. I see him as playing parts he believes in over and over again. He generally does a good job of it and this film is no exception. Principles have a price and Wayne pays the price, doing so with gallantry.

For some reason I never thought of Wayne as playing the role of a German sea captain. Well, he does here and does very well indeed in this very entertaining film. Here he has a decent script to work with that gives him an opportunity to shine. Both Wayne and Turner seem to grow in their respective roles.

The film looks and sounds great on DVD with its original CinemaScope aspect ratio intact. A very entertaing film set on the high seas. Enjoy.

Having John Wayne play a German Ship Captain (and an anti-nazi one at that) in World War Two made for an enjoyable change from his 'usual' roles, and underlined an important, though understated historical fact: that not all Germans in that time period were pro-Hitler, though they fought for their country out of love for country. That was so well shown when Wayne's character threw out the Swastika Flag and raised the World War One German Battle flag when his ship was challenged. This was a prime example of what made it an enjoyable film for me.

I have to say, this movie is wonderful and has wonderful people in it. John Wayne was a brilliant actor, and is so in this movie.

The fact he's a German who is vehemently anti-Nazi is a calling to people in coutries that fall under the same circumstances as Germany under Hitler that they don't have to take it. I think many people miss this point and say "oh, isn't it nice there are always nice people on both sides...". Yes, there's that too, but the other point should be taken as well.

I'm shocked by all the reviews here that complain about the lack of German accents. These people obviously have NO classic movie knowledge/haven't watched many classics. John Wayne would have been laughed out of the theater in this film if he'd had a German accent!

There's also complaints about Lana always being "fixed" and pulled together. Here's why: movies used to be MOVIES. There were escapism and entertainment. People didn't used to like going to the movies to see people be "real" and get all roughed up. They liked the glamour. So if Lana's dress is never wrinkled, that was a good thing.

AND!...

They could use their imaginations a little! Back then--when they made good, decent, classic, wonderful movies with people that actually had talent--the public didn't need someone's guts to fall out and blood to splatter everywhere to understand someone was hurt when they were shot. You'd here a bang and the person would fall down, and that was good enough. So, really, do you need The Duke to attempt a ridiculous German accent to understand he's German??? Not that he couldn't do it, but why would you want him to?

So, I just HAD to post a review to address that nonsense from other posters. The movie is great with two of the greatest movies stars of all time (The Duke being *the greatest ever*). I'd highly recommend it. It's full of action with a good helping of romance. Fantastic!

It's almost axiomatic that whatever movie John Wayne was part of could be given several stars, but this one is so atypical to his roles that it is seems unusual that he would choose it.

Recently I saw the movie on AMC, not having watched the movie in many years. Recently too, I became aware that the DVD had been issued. Having a good impression of the movie after seeing it on AMC, I purchased the DVD.

I prefer John Wayne in westerns, and am most familiar and comfortable with the 'saddle em up & move em out' roles, that it takes a bit of role switching to see him as a World War II German freighter captain. But John Wayne was so adaptable in his acting abilities that it comes across just fine; and with Lana Turner, an oft-times underrated actress, his performance gets only better.

If you like a World War II action adventure based on fact, intertwined with human interest, this is a very good DVD to add to your collection.

Recommended.

Semper Fi.

I found this to be one of John Wayne's more interesting and complex roles. In fact the entire film is a complex vortex of emotions and loyalties. As unusual as it seems to have John Wayne playing Captain Karl Erlich of a German cargo ship escaping Australia at the outbreak of WWII, this film works convincingly and quite admirably. Wayne as Captain Erlich is not a Nazi but just a man wanting to return his ship and crew home safely to Germany. Playing his counterpart and conscience throughout is David Farrar as British Commander Napier. Once Wayne's friend, Farrar pursues the cargo ship in a race to cut her off from reaching homeport. David Farrar also serves as narrator of this tale and curiously brings the frustrations of conflicting friendships, duties and political loyalties to the forefront. We never truly accept Wayne as a German but he convincingly plays a worldly, seasoned and inelegant Captain whose honor, reputation and dedication to his crew and ship are beyond question. At the heart of this film is a great maritime adventure beautifully photographed by William Clothier and skillfully directed by John Farrow. The unheralded Roy Webb composed another effective score going above and beyond. The cast is quite impressive. Lana Turner provides the love interest while Tab Hunter, James Arness, Lyle Bettger, Paul Fix, Richard Davalos, Claude Akins and Alan Hale Jr. are prominently featured. This is a very colorful film and the directional stereo sound is outstanding. This is one of Wayne's better films and a little known gem.

This is a very good movie. all the actors handle their roles corrrectly. There is very little Hollywood type glamor nonsense except for Lana Turner being impeccably coiffed, made up and wearing unrumpled clothes. This would never occur in real life aboard a run down tramp ship.

The way the crew reacted to a lone woman was perfect. I've seen the same thing on construction sites and other places where everyone was male and a lone woman apears. The men all act as it they hadn't seen a woman in years.

I felt that John Wayne and Lana Turner should have been coached in German type accents and body language. Both are excellent actors and could have handled this easily.

The film's plot, as the titles points out, used one of the most powerful standby of a motion picture medium - the chase...

Wayne plays an anti-Nazi German sea captain, opposed to the new regime, but as a loyal citizen he feels he must save his ship from destruction...

At the outbreak of World War II, just before news reaches Australia that the Nazi armies have moved into Poland, Wayne slips his steamer - a rusty old 5,000-ton freighter named the Ergenstrasse - out of Sydney harbor back to Valparaiso... To his bad luck, a British warship (The H.M.S. Rockhampton) sails in his pursuit...

From that foggy night, it takes all of Wayne's ability to keep the ship from falling into the hands of the British... Adding to his problems are both the Ergenstrasse's shortage of fuel and provisions, and the presence of a mysterious lady, a beautiful German spy (Lana Turner) with an unseemly past who had been forced to take along by official orders...

With a look suggesting intimacy, wearing a terrific white gown and a mink coat to lie back upon, and holding an elegant cigarette case and displaying a bracelet of diamonds, this consummate blonde, was once Wayne's mistress, and is now engaged to David Farrar, who just happens to be in command of the pursuing Rockhampton...

While the Ergenstrasse is being amply provisioned in Auckland island, Lyle Bettger, its ruthless chief officer, callously murders a group of shipwrecked fishermen, thereby causing dishonor on Wayne and his crew...

Eventually, the ship arrives at Pom Pom Galli (an island in the South Pacific Ocean) where is completely refueled, and sets sail for home... But the commander of Rockhampton, still in pursuit, learns of the massacred fishermen and determines, more than ever, to sink the German freighter...

In addition to its bizarre ending that left much to be desired, the film offers a storm at sea, an attack by sharks, a suicide and a near mutiny...

Wayne plays the courageous captain in his mild resolute way... Lana's performance is on a par with Wayne, handling the part with facile authority...

As a naval melodrama 'The Sea Chase' is good entertainment...

Even though John Wayne plays a German sea Captain during WWII this film is concerned more with adventure than politics and that's what makes it work. The stereo sound is outstanding. There are many character actors throughout this movie. It's a good one.

Telling a story different from most WWII movies, The Sea Chase is a worthwhile watch for fans of any number of different genres. In the weeks leading up to the blitzkrieg in Poland, German captain Karl Ehrlich and his rusty old freighter, the Ergenstrasse, are in port in Sydney, Australia. When the war officially starts, Ehrlich decides to make a break for it, but not before he receives orders to transport a German spy to safety. The Ergenstrasse must run a gauntlet of British ships while also battling dwindling fuel and supplies and a crew that is on the verge of a mutiny. Can Ehrlich lead his ship to safety and hopefully a German port? The setting of the South Pacific so early in the war gives this movie a very unique feel, especially because it deals with Germans and British. It's an exciting movie, and a good-looking movie at that, beautifully filmed in the Pacific. The movie was filmed on the ocean too, not cheap, cheesy-looking sets, which helps a lot. Definitely worth a watch for a different type of WWII action/adventure movie!

In a role different from many of his other roles, John Wayne is Capt. Karl Ehrlich, a German captain loyal to his country but completely against Nazism and all it stands for. Wayne is excellent as a man just trying to get the job done no matter the cost. Lana Turner plays the romantic interest, Elsa Keller, a beautiful German spy on the Ergenstrasse trying to reach safety. Wayne and Turner's scenes together work pretty well and don't seem forced. David Farrar plays Jeff Napier, a British officer pursuing the Ergenstrasse who is old friends with Ehrling. Lyle Bettger is very slimy as Kirchner, one of Ehrlich's men completely loyal to the Nazi party and always trying to undermine his captain. Tab Hunter has a small part as Wesser, a young officer learning the ropes. The excellent supporting cast is full of great character actors led by James Arness, Paul Fix, John Qualen, Dick Davalos, Alan Hale JR, Peter Whitney, John Doucette, Claude Akins, and Adam Williams.

The DVD offers a gorgeous widescreen presentation that shows off the filming locations in and around Hawaii. The movie's never looked better. A trailer for The Sea Chase leads a trailer gallery of John Wayne movies, seven of them in all. This isn't the Duke's most well-known movie, but it's a good one either way. Give The Sea Chase a shot!