The Mystery of the Mary Celeste

Denison Clift's "The Mystery Of The Mary Celeste" aka. "Phantom Ship" of 1935 is a great movie starring Bela Lugosi in a great though atypical role. Many people seem to dislike this movie and I don't really see why. Maybe some people have mixed feelings about "Phantom Ship" because Lugosi's character is not the ingenious super-villain he often played, but an unshaven and scruffy sailor. In my opinion, however, Lugosi's role not being typical doesn't downgrade his excellent performance, and "The Mystery Of The Mary Celeste" is a highly atmospheric Horror Mystery and, by the way, one of the first movies produced by the legendary Hammer Film Productions.

The fictional story, which was inspired by the tragic case of the real-life ghost-ship 'Mary Celeste', is of course not historically accurate. Some characters have the names of real-life members of the "Mary Celeste" crew, but the rest of the story is pure fiction. I don't see this as negative either, however. First of all, movies don't always have to be historically accurate to be good. Second, this movie doesn't claim historical accuracy, the beginning clearly says that the story was only inspired by the tragedy of the Mary Celeste.

The great Bela Lugosi is, once again, brilliant in his role, and some of the other cast members, such as Edmund Willard or the heavily tattooed Gunner Moir also deliver great performances."The Mystery Of The Mary Celeste" is impressively filmed, and the dark, sometimes haunting atmosphere and menacing character of the sea are excellently brought to screen. The film's musical score is also great, occasional songs sung by characters contribute to the movie's atmosphere, and the background score in some other scenes contributes to the suspense.

"The Mystery Of The Mary Celeste" is a highly atmospheric, excellently shot and vastly underrated movie. Lugosi fans can't afford to miss this. Highly Recommended! 8/10

Hammer Film Productions is famous for the production of Gothic horror during the 60s and 70s; however, way before becoming the legendary horror house, the company had a brief but brilliant encounter with the genre. The film was an ambitious entry in the horror/mystery genre starring horror icon Bela Lugosi and based on the famous case of the abandoned ship, the "Marie Celeste".

"The Mystery of the Marie Celeste" (or as it is known in the U.S., "The Phantom Ship") presents a fictional theory on the mysterious disappearance of the entire crew (complete with the captain's family) of the tragically famous ship. The plot deals with a mysterious murderer who is killing the crew one by one. Arthur Margetson is Captain Benjamin Briggs, who is taking his bride Sarah (Shirley Grey) in his tragic last trip. The crew includes Bela Lugosi and Edmund Willard among others, all of them possible victims, or killers.

The film is very well done for a low budget, and it is very well written, with very interesting characters and a perfectly crafted mystery. Sadly, several minutes of film were cut for the American release and it's the only version that has survived. The original British version (with a runtime of approximately 80 minutes) is apparently lost. The movie still works with the cuts, but one is left to wonder how deep the development of the characters was in the original.

Director Denison Clift had a small career as a director (he was primarily a writer), but he manages to create great atmospheres and builds up the suspense and the mystery with good care. Clift focuses more on the story than in the visual composition and lets the actors do the trick, they are without a doubt the film's highlight. The superb performances of the cast give life to the story and make the experience even more enjoyable.

Arthur Margetson is very good as the stubborn and stoic Capt. Briggs, but Shirley Grey is a bit weak as the romantic interest (contrary to the real story, in the film the couple has no children). Edmund Willard and Bela Lugosi steal the show, the first one as the violent Tobey Bilson, and Lugosi as the mysterious Anton Lorenzen. The two of them give outstanding performances and are the soul of the movie. While Bela Lugosi will always be remembered as Dracula, is in this movie where he can display his dramatic talent in a very demanding role as the emotional Lorenzen.

The film feels claustrophobic at times being that the only location is the ship, but this adds to the feeling of paranoia and suspense that grows among the crew. The lack of flamboyant visual imagery may turn off horror fans not used to the slow pace of older films but the films moves at a perfect rhythm. Another small flaw is that the rest of the cast is at times either unconvincing or over-the-top; however, Lugosi, Willard and Margetson make up for this.

While "The Mystery of the Marie Celeste" is not the classic film that "Dracula" or "White Zombie" are, it is a fine film that successfully mixes horror and mystery and displays the great talent Lugosi had, a talent that was sadly forgotten and went underused during most of his career. This film is an often forgotten shiny spot in the stories of both Lugosi and Hammer Productions, and therefore a must-see for anyone interested in Lugosi's life or in Hammer's history, as it is probably the finest performance of an iconic figure. 8/10

While this isn't the greatest film in history, the Marie Celeste is a puzzle and it's fun watching her self-destruct. Lugosi showed some real chops in this film. Not long after Dracula, we get to see him play a character who is filled with vengeance and fury. Lugosi makes him a really sympathetic person who has obviously been wronged and has seemingly given up on life. The relationship of the captain and his wife on board this strange ship is a bit strained. Why would he do this? Also, there has to be a reel missing from this film. There are a couple of deaths that simply happen but we aren't privy to them. I've always enjoyed the claustrophobic milieu that is a ship, no escape available for anyone, and this one uses that closed in atmosphere pretty well. Still, it is pretty unsatisfying at times.

In history the crew of the Mary Celeste disappeared and this film attempts to show a possible recreation. Bela Lugosi's portrayal of Anton Lorenzen, a mad crazed man seeking revenge against the crew of the Mary Celeste is wonderful. None of the crew can remember what Lorenzen looks like so he is able to join the new crew. One by one crew members are murdered or just disappear until one person remains. But when the floating ship is found there is no one aboard. An interesting tale to watch even if predictable.

Watching this film one wonders if the scene of the discovery of the Mary Celeste was actually supposed to come at the beginning rather than at the end, since as a whole it would have worked far better in flashback.

Film historians often regard old movies with the benefit of hindsight; and this little curiosity has always caught the eye of researchers since it represents the intersection of the careers of Bela Lugosi and Hammer Films (Gibson Gowland even plays a character called 'Gilling'). Watching the thing is another matter however, since for most of it's length - apart a few outdoor scenes shot in Folkestone - it consists almost entirely of talk, obviously shot in a studio.

Shirley Grey wears a sleek thirties bob totally wrong for film set in 1872. Lugosi spends the entire film looking and sounding as if he's just woken up; but when it eventually comes his final scene is a beaut!