F.P.1

Compared to the German language version of the same film that was made simultaneously, this is a disappointment. Conrad Veidt is simply too mature and sensitive for the role of the wild, impulsive aviator, and the whole production seems rushed and underrehearsed. Since it parallels the German film scene by scene, though, it's worth seeing if you don't speak German and only have access to the unsubtitled video prints of "F.P. 1 Antwortet Nicht" currently in circulation.

I had a video of the thing. And I think it was my fourth attempt that I managed to watch the whole film without drifting off to sleep. It's slow-moving, and the idea of a mid-Atlantic platform, which may have been revolutionary at the time, is now just a great big yawnaroony. Apart from Conrad Veidt, the rest of the cast are pretty forgettable, and it is only in the action towards the end that things get really interesting. When the water started to spill big-time it even, on one occasion, woke me up.

But give the man his due. No one could hold a cigarette like Conrad Veidt. He doesn't wedge it between his index and middle fingers like the lesser mortals. He holds it in his fingers, while showing us the old pearly-browns. There are a few scenes in this film where the smoke drifts up to heaven against a dark background,and looks very artistically done. But it does not say much about this film if all that impresses you is the tobacco smoke.

Austrian director Karl Hartl assumes an enormous assignment at Berlin's UFA Studios: leading three separate casts in disparate language productions of Curt Siodmak's debut novel (listed as Slodmak on the screen credits), featuring Hans Albers (German), Charles Boyer (French) and Conrad Veidt (English), obviously a daunting task, but one that he manages to complete in an artistically successful manner. Although the plot is raimented with the trappings of science fiction, it is in fact a romance flavoured by shadowy industrial espionage, with "F.P.1" being a prototypical floating platform destined to serve as a re-fueling depot in mid-Atlantic waters for international aircraft, constructed by London's Lennartz Shipyard firm, of which young Claire Lennartz (Jill Esmond) is one-third owner. Claire is attracted to, and desired by, two men, Captain Droste (Leslie Fenton), the designer of the seaborne aerodrome, and Major Ellisson (Veidt), a renowned test pilot, and the melodramatic complications of this love triangle form the heart of a work that was a financial success upon its release with its depiction of construction efforts for a gigantic landing platform accurately forecasting military aircraft carriers. It is instructive to view the three versions in succession to discover how the players adapt their roles to their personalities, with the English language release arguably the best, despite an unfortunate loss of a great deal of footage over the years, including Veidt's moving singspiel "Where the Lighthouse Shines Across the Bay"; however, the direction, camera-work, creative sets, as well as the spirited performing of Veidt and Esmond provide a goodly amount of pleasure.

Films with the theme of transatlantic transportation were quite common in this era.I can think of High Treason and The Tunnel.Additionally films made in two or three language versions were quite common.The acting of Conrad Veidt overpowers everyone else.

I guess this was supposed to be an early science fiction - adventure story, about an aviator with personality quirks, but I couldn't find myself interested in the plot very much.

What was with Conrad Veidt's teeth in this movie? His front teeth all had huge gaps in them, which made them look black. He looked old before his time; he actually looked better years later playing Major Strasser in "Casablanca", which was released only a year before he dropped dead from a heart attack in 1943. Warner Brothers obviously knew how to package him so that he looked more debonair in the later film. Poor guy, he really needed a dentist. I couldn't get into the tame romantic scenes at all, since Jill Esmond, who played Claire (very pretty first wife of Sir Lawrence Olivier), looked young enough to be his granddaughter.

I watched the English video version put out by Video Yesteryear. Halfway through the tape it got interrupted by a "PLEASE STAND BY WHILE WE CHANGE REELS" message. I burst out laughing. What was that for?

I bought this to watch the performances of the principals, and to see Warwick Ward in another film, other than the Pola Negri one I watched awhile ago with him in it, from 1929. Had trouble finding him at first, but he played the First Officer. Handsome man, very intense eyes. Maybe he should have been given the role of the rival for Jill Esmond's character's affections.

5 out of 10. Interesting as an example of an early sound Brit film, but not much else.