Le voilier maudit

EBB TIDE (Paramount, 1937), a Lucien Hubbard production directed by James Hogan, was a successful sea adventure following the pattern of 1937s SLAVE SHIP (20th Century-Fox), CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS (MGM) and Paramount's own SOULS AT SEA. EBB TIDE has become long unseen and forgotten movie title through the passage of time, being the studio's second Technicolor production following THE TRAIL OF THE LONESOME PINE (1936). Based on a 1894 story "The Ebb-Tide" by Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osborne, previously filmed in 1922 with James Kirkwood, Lila Lee and Noah Beery, this latest installment stars Oscar Homolka (in association with the Gaumont British Company), in his American film debut, with Frances Farmer, Ray Milland, and Barry Fitzgerald in fine support.

Opening title: "Tehua in the South Seas in 1890, an island of happy indolence." In a story told in two parts, the first half begins with beachcombers Robert Herrick (Ray Milland), from England; Huish (Barry Fitzgerald) a sailor; and Captain Jakob Thornecke (Oscar Homolka), strolling along the island beach. Though Thornecke is a disgraced drunken captain having lost his Sea Rangers ship, he is later commissioned to sail a Yankee schooner to Sydney, Australia, after the deaths of both its captain and shipmate. Taking Herrick as mate and Huish as steward, Thornecke begins having second thoughts taking his cargo of champagne to Peru, sell both merchandise and ship and pocket the money on mines,. This scheme is overheard by Faith Wishart (Frances Farmer), daughter of the deceased captain, who orders Thorneck at gunpoint to resume sail for Australia. During the course of the story, the captain gets drunk, nearly sails the schooner into a passing typhoon, and later discovers the champagne bottles are not only filled with water, but discovers Faith's father's intentions to sabotage the schooner for insurance money. With limited supply of food on board, the schooner weights anchor on a deserted island of Kanaki, where the second half of the story finds its crew involved with Richard Atwater (Lloyd Nolan), an American supported by two guards and female servant (Lina Basquette), on the island living in richness of pearls, who may possibly be insane. Charles Judels, Charles Stevens, and David Torrence complete the cast.

Of its leading players, Lloyd Nolan's performance, reminiscent to Leslie Banks in THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME (RKO Radio, 1932) gathers much attention here, but in a more somber manner. The story was reworked again ADVENTURE ISLAND (Paramount, 1947) with Rory Calhoun, Rhonda Fleming and Paul Kelly.

Known in recent years as the only color movie featuring Frances Farmer, EBB TIDE is something of a predecessor to the many 1940s Technicolor South Seas Island tales from its opening credits underscored by islanders singing its title tune of "Ebb Tide" by Leo Robin and Ralph Ranger, to Technicolor beauty and sailing adventure. While it doesn't have the top-notch casting of Warner Brothers' own Errol Flynn, Olivia De Havilland and Basil Rathbone, Milland, Farmer and Nolan are fine substitutes. In his very rare opportunity heading the cast, Oscar Homolka, with enough close-ups, is not as memorable as he later became for his excellent performance as the family uncle in I REMEMBER MAMA (RKO Radio, 1948) starring Irene Dunne.

Unseen on commercial television since the 1970s, and public TV since the early 1980s, thus far EBB TIDE was never shown on cable television nor distributed on video cassette. Theatrically released at 94 minutes, beware of shorter prints on DVD by private collectors. As much as EBB TIDE needs restoration, it's still a fine sea adventure worth seeing. (*** bells)

One of the strangest films to come from a major studio during the golden era of Hollywood, "Ebb Tide" was promoted as "the first South Seas drama in COLOR", and boasts an eclectic (to say the least) cast, including Oscar Homolka (in his US feature debut), Frances Farmer (in her only color film), Ray Milland, Barry Fitzgerald and Lloyd Nolan. Dour, pessimistic, and full of tortured close-ups of Homolka grimacing, this was probably not what movie-goers of 1937 were expecting. On the plus-side, the performances are riveting (though Homolka is difficult to understand at times), and the chance to see the ravishing Farmer in Technicolor splendor is worth wading through a turgid plot involving three ne'er-do-wells shanghaing a quarantined ship to the tropical paradise island of Tehua, where they meet madman Lloyd Nolan. There's also an exciting storm sequence which was the "Perfect Storm" of its day. Based on a story co-written by Robert Louis Stevenson. The only broadcast print in wide circulation is edited and is badly in need of color correction.

I noticed all the reviews seem to like the film and gave it 7s. I have no idea why, as the story is slow, often pointless and features some serious overacting...which I blame on the director (if there actually was one).

Captain Jakob, Huish and Robert (Oscar Homalka, Barry Fitzgerald and Ray Milland) are beach bums with no prospects. Out of the blue, a guy offers Captain Jakob a ship. Once they board this awful ship, the Captain and Huish drink and act like idiots...leaving Robert to try to do something, though he knows nothing about ships.

Eventually these idiots stumble upon an uncharted island...which is fortunate since they just ran out of food. However, the island is run by a nasty jerk (Lloyd Nolan) and ultimately he kills a couple of them and everyone else, minus the homicidal jerk, leaves. The end.

So much of the movie seems as if the director was drunk and told the actors to just 'wing it'. Often directionless, slow and a film which is missing a LOT (particularly an ending) and left me annoyed. Very little to commend this film. Even the Technicolor was terrible on the copy I saw, as it was faded and in bad need of restoration. A choppy plot, too many periods where the acting is WAY over the top and a messy story make this one to skip.

I saw this film in 1937 when it came out and I was 15 years old. Just an uncomplicated South Seas adventure yarn, but it had this marvelous cast: Ray Milland, Lloyd Nolan, Barry Fitzgerald, Oscar Homolka, and the fabulous, tragic, Frances Farmer at the peak of her short-lived career. I fell instantly in love with her, and have never completely gotten over it! I have been trying to view (or obtain a copy) of this film for years with no luck. Any help out there?

The novel co-written by Robert Louis Stevenson is the basis for this lavish Paramount production which was to feature one of the white mountain studio's latest discoveries, Frances Farmer. Frances is the daughter of the late captain of a trading schooner in the South Seas which is in need of someone to take her to Sydney, Australia.

Who might fill the bill is Oscar Homolka who is a beached captain on a South Sea Isle barely scratching out an existence as a beachcomber along with pals, Ray Milland and Barry Fitzgerald. All three of these guys have a sad tale to tell as to how they came to such fringe circumstances of existence.

When Homolka is hired he takes the other two along and they've got different ideas about the direction of the ship and what to do with her cargo which is cases of champagne. A whole lot of drama happens on the schooner before they arrive at an island ruled by Lloyd Nolan who is a bible spouting psychotic who has the natives cowed. The sight of Farmer gets his hormones in an uproar as if the other three don't have those same issues as well.

Ebb Tide is a film badly in need of restoration. I saw a bootleg print of it and the sound could use a little enhancement as well. Oscar Homolka was billed with courtesy to British Gaumont Pictures where he had recently starred in Alfred Hitchcock's Sabotage. I'd love to know whose brilliant idea at Paramount's to have Homolka shave those trademark bushy eyebrows. I could hardly believe it was him.

Farmer was beautiful, but she wanted roles of substance as she complained in those famous memoirs of her's Will There Ever Be a Morning. Ebb Tide didn't provide her with it, but Lloyd Nolan did wonders with his role. His was a subtle performance, he conveyed so much by underplaying the fanaticism of his character.

Hopefully Ebb Tide will be earmarked for restoration and soon.