El buque maldito

Enjoyed this 1951 Black & White film starring Dana Andrews,(Pat Bannon),"The Best Years of Our Lives",'46, where he stars as a fishing boat Capt. in a rather small boat and manages to take along a very young female as a passenger. The gal has to sort of live in a closet on the boat that was filled with all kinds of kitchen junk. Pat Bannon experiences a great storm at sea which causes many problems and then out of the blue, he runs into an abandoned sailing ship. It is War time with the Nazi's and the ocean is filled with submarines. Claude Rains, (Capt. Skalder),"The Greatest Story Ever Told",'65( King Herod), appears as the Captain of a Danish vessel and is like a sheep in wolf's clothing. Enjoyed this mysterious film and the hidden secrets which are revealed in this film.

This film is great for the era it was filmed in! The cast is awesome, with Dana Andrews and Claude Rains as the two main characters. I liked it, and had never seen it before the "Memorial Day" War movie weekend on TCM. This film will have you guessing and once you think you have it figured out, __________________!!! I liked it and I usually get tired of the same old..... but, this is a good movie. I recommend viewing this film even if you aren't a WAR film buff. It has an element of film noir, lighting and spooky, lots of tension. Keep an open mind. Watch it! You might learn some things you didn't know. I sure did! This film is good viewing, great special effects, remember it was in the 50's so don't confuse it with any of the special effects that are available now. I don't especially like WAR films, but this is not just a 'shoot everyone, ask questions later' type of film. Quite enjoyable!

Dana Andrews as a fisherman captain and Claude Rains as another captain on an abandoned ship - what could go wrong? Of course everything goes wrong by calculation. Dana Andrews is honest enough as always, while Claude Rains, as usual, has quite some hidden agenda. What's impressing about this war film at sea is the almost expressionistic cinematography - Claude Rains' ship like the "Mary Celeste" floats around at sea without any crew and with a cargo of rum, and it's a beautiful schooner with terrific rigging, although they have all been blown to rags and pieces, like on a ghost ship. Captain Andrews tows the mysterious ship to a small fishing village in Newfoundland, where the war barges in with a vengeance. The test of strength and war of nerves between the two captains is the main human asset of the film, while it is mostly worth watching for the spectacular cinematography, added to by the dramatic music.

Dana Andrews, Claude Rains, Philip Dorn, and Carla Balenda star in "Sealed Cargo" from 1951.

Andrews plays a fishing boat captain, Pat Banyon. A woman (Balenda) begs for passage to her hometown - even though there really isn't room for her, Banyon agrees to take her.

After fighting an awful storm, Banyon and his team spot a ship that looks abandoned. They are cautious, since it's wartime, and it could be an enemy ship.

They do find one man on board, Captain Skalder (Rains) and learn that it is a Dutch ship. Skalder says that a German u-boat attacked the vessel. The crew abandoned ship or were killed.

Banyon says he will tow the ship back to port. However, the saga is far from over.

Like other reviewers, I'm surprised this RKO film didn't get more attention. It's atmospheric, suspenseful, and the end is extremely exciting. I would say the one drawback is throwing in a romance angle. Unnecessary.

If you get a chance, catch this one.

A Taut and Tense WWII Drama that is Gripping from the Get-Go. The RKO Style does Service to a Tale, We are Told in the Prolog, that goes Virtually Unnoticed among the more Sprawling Battles in America's Fight Against Fascism.

Moody, Grim, and No-Nonsense Approach (although some may say the "Woman On Board" Plot Element is a Stretch). The Female Ingredient, was a Standard to Bolster Box-Office, but is Handled OK and Not Forced into the Narrative.

This Picture is Not Well Known in most Circles and really Surprises with Dana Andrews and Claude Rains heading a Cast of Sea Salts Butting Heads with the Nazis. Studio Bound and its B-Movie Pedigree Reveals itself but is Overwhelmed by the Witty Dialog and the Overall Atmosphere of the Frame.

Highly Recommended and even Movie Fans not usually Drawn to War Films might want to Come Aboard.