Sealed Cargo

While out on a fishing trip off Nova Scotia, a fishing crew (and some guests) come across a damaged Danish schooner which has apparently been damaged by an attack from a German U-Boat. The captain, Pat Bannon boards to find only the captain of the schooner (Capt Skalder) alive on board. However Bannon suspects something is wrong.

I love Dana Andrews and will often watch films simply because he is in them, however I got stung here because this film isn't very good. The plot is a little muddled and lacking logic, preferring a bit of `beat the Germans' flag waving instead. The sense of mystery isn't sustained towards the end of the film and is replaced by a bit of action. The action works reasonably well with Bannon in cat and mouse games with U-Boats, but it isn't great.

Andrews does OK work here, just really playing a straight, strong-jawed leading man. Balenda is an unnecessary leading lady who has little to really do. Rains is alright, adding another strong actor to the film didn't hurt even if he wasn't really well served at any point. The support cast didn't really grab me and none of them stood out either as characters of actors.

Overall this was passable for a cold, wet Saturday afternoon but no more than that. The story isn't really gripping and it doesn't have a flow to it. That said there is enough in the way of semi-mystery and thrills to make it watchable.

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.

In 1943, Capt. Pat Banyon (Dana Andrews) runs a small fishing boat in Gloucester, Mass. Margaret McLean (Carla Balenda) hires him to take her home to a small Newfoundland village. They encounter a heavily damaged Danish schooner after some gunfire. Capt. Skalder (Claude Rains) is the sole survivor from an U-boat attack. It's a fine war thriller. I would push the reveal a little later but this works fine. Dana Andrews is a fine chiseled jaw leading man and there is nobody better than Claude Rains.

It was just on tv yesterday. Quite well cast and acted, and a good storyline too. A couple of gaping holes in the script (do trawlers fish singly?) but not entirely implausible. Apart from the female lead wearing a white coat and a white sweater on a fishing boat, and it staying white.

Makes me wonder why this mini classic is not better known. This marvelous tale of the Sea, not only offers very good performances by Claude Rains, Dana Andrews, and Philip Dorn, but is based on an intriguing novel "The Gaunt Woman" by Edmund Gilligan. The Screenplay receives fine treatment, with plenty of suspense by Dale Van Every (A.K.F. that other great Sea Classic: "Captains Courageous") It's the eerie look of the film thats the real star. Great, moody B/W Cinematography by George E. Diskant who gave us those fine Noir images in several other RKO features: "The Narrow Margin" - "Riffraff" - "They Live By Night" and "On Dangerous Ground". Some neat special effects also help lift the tension as it moves along.

Combined with the evocative Direction of Award Winner: Alfred Werker ("He Walked by Night" - "Lost Boundaries") 'Sealed Cargo' is packed with viewing enjoyment, filled with mystic shots (in dense fog at sea) during the dangerous days of WW11. This tale will keep any not overly demanding viewer very happily occupied for its nicely paced 90mins. Pretty Carla Balenda ("Hunt the Man Down" and much on TV) supplies the female interests and carries it off with likable style. While it's set in wartime, you would not call this a 'war' film.

RKO sure knew how to entertain audiences with a wide range of assorted themes throughout the 30's - 50's. Both Werker and Diskant went on to give some of the better shows of B/W Television their look and feel, creating a stylized look on small budgets.

Seems 'Cargo' is rarely shown, so well worth looking for. Some TV Prints are not so good, being from old CC Movietime copies, so look for a true RKO print if you can.