Customer Reviews

Sea Wolf [VHS]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Jack London's exciting tale of the sea and of the nefarious Captain Wolf Larsen makes for a riveting, atmospheric high-seas adventure. Adapted for the screen by Robert Rossen, the story plots the course of three civilians who find themselves on board the aptly-named turn-of-the-century schooner "Ghost" helmed by the tyrannical Larsen. Edward G. Robinson, in a dynamic and complex portrayal, plays the hardened captain who finds it's "better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven". As the newest members of this "hell ship", a lovely Ida Lupino and a handsome John Garfield are both fugitives from the law; and Alexander Knox is the idealistic writer forced to face the barbaric side of human nature. Gene Lockhart does well as the drunken ship's doctor and Barry Fitzgerald is especially memorable in a surprisingly effective and offbeat characterisation as the vile cockney cook with an annoyingly sardonic laugh. This rather underrated film which was directed by the notoriously tyrannical Hungarian Michael Curtiz is definitely worth viewing: THE SEA WOLF remains a rip-roaring action film which gives berth to both high adventure and intelligent characterisations - a classic of its kind.

Edward G. Robinson was marvelous playing frightful and belligerent sea captain Wolf Larsen in the Michael Curtiz directed maritime drama "The Sea Wolf" based on the Jack London classic.

Robinson commanded the sailing clipper Ghost, based in 1900's San Francisco, a purported seal hunting ship but in actuality a pirate ship plundering the booty of other working ships. With a murderous bunch of blackguards as crew including the knife wielding Cooky played by Irishman Barry Fitzgerald, the ship was the scourge of the seas.

John Garfield playing George Leach signed on to the Ghost desperate to escape authorities back in San Francisco. A collision between a paddlewheeler and ocean liner in San Francisco bay caused a shipwreck. Survivors Ida Lupino playing fugitive Ruth Brewster and Alexander Knox playing writer Humphrey Van Weyden are rescued by the Ghost and become reluctant passengers on the ship.

Almost at once the new crew members are subjected to the denigration and humiliation that is standard fare for those under the authority of Larsen. In a memorable scene Gene Lockhart playing disgraced and alcoholic physician Louis Prescott who saved the life of Lupino with a blood tranfusion begs for respect from the crew. Robinson proceeds to demean him before the crew causing him to climb the mast and hurl himself off to his death on the deck. Led by Garfield they attempt an unsuccessful mutiny against Robinson.

Larsen, a conflicted man with much psychological baggage is also learned and well read. He is increasingly suffering from headaches resulting in temporary blindness and also presumably madness. His need to dominate others to prop himself up ultimately leads to his expected demise.

Curtiz leads this accomplished cast of characters using an excellent script to create meaningful interactions among them which emphasized their well defined personalities. All the acting performances were superb highlighted by Knox who played Larsen's conscience as the talented writer van Weydan, Lockhart as the dishonored doctor and of course Edward G.

Edward G. Robinson gives one of his most vivid characterizations as Wolf Larsen, captain of the "Ghost". Robinson is hated by his entire crew, since he employs violence and humiliation to keep the men in line. Among the crew is fugitive John Garfield, who fits right in since most of the crew is made up of society's losers. Writer Alexander Knox and convict Ida Lupino are also taken aboard and they also fall victim to Robinson's cruel ways. The only way out seems to be escape or death. Garfield and Lupino are intense as usual and well-matched, although their relationship develops quicker than the story gives it time to grow. Knox is convincing as the intellectual writer who analyzes the captain and also learns about himself under extreme conditions, but he doesn't have much screen presence. Supporting players Gene Lockhart and Barry Fitzgerald have some excellent moments, with Fitzgerald a particular surprise, cast against type as one of the ship's most disagreeable characters. But it's Robinson who towers above everyone else as the cunning, cruel Wolf Larsen, one of his best performances. Director Michael Curtiz keeps the suspense up, giving the film a dark, disturbing quality. The script is literate, the music effective, and the characters are well drawn and performed. It's a very solid film.

If your only impression of Edward G. Robinson's acting skills is: "N'yeah, you mugs...", then this film should serve to showcase for you his masterful talents. There is not one wasted or superfluous scene; it has everything that denotes greatness in every aspect of filmmaking(in my opinion, of course). It's a thinking person's action adventure that will haunt your heart.

Edward G. Robinson's Wolf Larsen is a self-educated man, a sadistic genius who has developed the humiliation and manipulation of his fellow man into a science. He is the alpha male in a crew whose willingness to exploit any sign of weakness in order to gain advantage places it barely above the level of the animal. Onto his ship come a trio of castaways, whose various fates among Larsen's men we follow. Particularly interesting is Larson's relationship with the writer Humphrey Van Wyden, portrayed by Alexander Knox. Van Wyden understands exactly what kind of man Larsen is and refuses to play the syncophant. Larsen listens to, and even invites, his criticisms with all the fascination of a man seeing himself in the mirror for the first time.

I have between 1100 and 1300 films in my library and if I had to choose my candidate for the most "UNDERATED" film of all time this would be the one. It is a cumulation of the combined excellence of all aspects of production, art direction, casting, acting and film direction at the Warner Brothers studio that was peaking at this time. In 1941 the Warners Brothers released amoung others ,classics including - Kings Row, The Strawberry Blonde, Sergeant York , The Great Lie, The Man Who Came to Dinner,The Maltese Falcon, Out of the Fog, High Sierra, Manpower AND " The Sea Wolf ". The film is based on a allegorical book by Jack London, a combination of 19th century obsessions - Darwin's "survival of the fittest" theories allied with Nietzsche's superman philosophy that was eclipsing / superceding God that is played out on a cramped " hell ship " where good and evil do battle as portrayed by Humphrey van Weyden - Alexander Knox and Wolf Larsen - Edward G. Robinson. The musical score by Eric Wolfgang Kornglow is terrific - alternatively menacing and brooding. The art direction is outstanding from the seedy saloon where John Garfield is hiding out from the cops to the sealing ship "Ghost" where most of the story / action takes place. Sol Polito's camerawork is masterfull, closeups and medium shots from a perfectly aligned camera allied to the brothers Warners artifical fog machines that worked overtime in this movie to create the atmosphere of dread and menance.The filming of Doctor Prescotts dive off the topmast is a highlight of Polito's great camerawork. Michael Curtiz's direction is low keyed but very effective and he is content to let his actors and the script dominate the action. But its the films cast, as perfect in its way as the cast of CASABLANCA was the following year that are the jewels of this film. Barry Fitzgerald was never seen to better effect as the oily,spitefull, cockney cook - Cooky. Gene Lockhart is great as the pathetic, drunken Doctor Prescott humilliated one time to many with a "ace up his sleeve" before he committs suicide. John Garfield and Ida Lupino are so intense as the convict "doomed lovers" that their eyes almost seen to be popping out of their heads in some scenes but they are not over acting - just truly locked into their roles. Ms Lupino's best ever role was in 1943's " The Hard Way " but here in her impassioned /agonized performance she comes close to equalling it. Amid all these fireworks Alexander Knox's properly restrained performance as the over civilized, prim and soft Humphrey Van Weyden subtly gives this apparently weak character hidden strenght to parlay with the demonic Wolf Larsen and eventually prove himself to be the stronger { in character} man. HOWEVER. it is Edward G. Robinson's superb performance as Wolf Larsen alternately he is shrewd, crude, despicable, deceitfull, ruthless, cunning, pathetic and always two steps ahead of everyone {until Cookie exposes that he is blind} and the final showdown with Van Weyden - Robinson as Larsen we can somehow admire detest and pity this tormented soul and he just completely dominates the film. His quivering ,shrieking at the films climax realizing that he was deceived by Van Weyden " I KNEW THERE WAS A CATCH TO IT,I KNEEEW IT !!! is alone worthy of a Oscar nomination. In a 43 year career of great performances this is arguably his best - how he never received one not a single oscar nomination in his career is UNBELIVABLE !!!! Executive producer Hal Wallis ties all this talent together into an astonishingly literate and entertaining movie. A ROUSING 5 STAR RECOMENDATION and HOORAY for the BROTHERS WARNER.

I saw this movie on late night televison a couple of nights ago and it has stayed with me ever since. It is an adaptation of the Jack London novel and the late Edward G. Robinson gives a powerhouse performance as Wolf Larssen , the sadistic captain of a sealing ship.He is backed in this movie by a fine performance by Ida Lupino. This movie takes me back to a better time when dialogue was all important in movies , there were no car chases or explosions to be seen and actresses kept their clothes on.How times have changed!!!

Buyers, please be aware: this is not the Edward G Robinson, Ida Lupino film from 1941. This is, despite many deceptive indications not least of which is the vagueness of the distributors description, the 1993 version with Christopher Reeves. This version is not a very good movie, it screams of poorly funded made for TV all over it. In addition, the quality of the dvd-r is terrible. I have VHS movies recorded from TV that are far better in quality than this piece of plastic. Please do not purchase this poorly made, poorly distributed movie. Use your money to buy a much better movie to watch while we all wait for a release on dvd of the original 1941 film. I would recommend any film available with Edward G Robinson, or Ida Lupino, as an alternative.

THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE ARTIFLIX DVD THE SEA WOLF
THIS IS NOT THE MOVIE DESCRIBED ON PAGE OR BOX
The Sea Wolf (1941) -
Directed by Michael Curtiz. With Edward G. Robinson, Ida Lupino, John Garfield, Alexander Knox.

What I received was
The Sea Wolf (TV 1993) - IMDb
Directed by Michael Anderson. With Charles Bronson, Catherine Mary Stewart
Christopher Reeve
PLEASE NOTE THE OTHER REVIEWS LISTED APPEAR TO BE FROM THE VHS TITLE NOT THE DVD!!!

Edward G Robinson is at his best playing captain Wolf Larson. He gets to be as brutal and as sadistic as any of his gangster roles, but without the self-parody one sees in (for instance) KEY LARGO.

Barry Fitzgerald adds a lot to the movie in his role as the filthy, whining, bullying ship's cook. Ida Lupino plays one of her typical girl-with-a-past roles.