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The Sea Wolf ()


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After being fished out of the sea by a sailer, three fugitives find themselves prisoners of the ship's brutal skipper who refuses to put them ashore and they hatch an escape plan during a crew mutiny.

Director:
Awards:
  • Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 nomination.
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Cast verified as complete

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'Wolf' Larsen
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Ruth Brewster
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George Leach
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Humphrey Van Weyden
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Dr. Prescott
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Cooky
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Johnson
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Young Sailor
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Svenson
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Harrison
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Smoke
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
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Pickpocket (uncredited)
Cliff Clark ...
First Detective (uncredited)
Jeane Cowan ...
Singer (uncredited)
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Bartender (uncredited)
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Second Detective (uncredited)
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Agent Getting Johnson Shanghaied (uncredited)
Oscar 'Dutch' Hendrian ...
Crewman (uncredited)
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Crewman (uncredited)
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Helmsman (uncredited)
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Crewman (uncredited)
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Crewman (uncredited)
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Pipe Smoker in Bar (uncredited)
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First Mate Who Dies (uncredited)

Directed by

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Michael Curtiz

Written by

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Robert Rossen ... (screenplay)
 
Jack London ... (novel)

Produced by

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Henry Blanke ... associate producer
Hal B. Wallis ... producer (uncredited)
Jack L. Warner ... executive producer (uncredited)

Music by

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Erich Wolfgang Korngold

Cinematography by

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Sol Polito ... director of photography

Editing by

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George Amy

Art Direction by

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Anton Grot

Makeup Department

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Perc Westmore ... makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Sherry Shourds ... assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department

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Oliver S. Garretson ... sound
Nathan Levinson ... sound special effects (uncredited)

Special Effects by

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Byron Haskin ... special effects
Hans F. Koenekamp ... special effects (as H.F. Koenekamp)

Stunts

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Sailor Vincent ... stunts (uncredited)
Buster Wiles ... stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

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Buddy Longworth ... still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Eugene Joseff ... costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department

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Leo F. Forbstein ... musical director
Hugo Friedhofer ... orchestral arranger
Ray Heindorf ... orchestral arranger
Erich Wolfgang Korngold ... conductor (uncredited) / orchestrator (uncredited)
Milan Roder ... orchestrator (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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Jo Graham ... dialogue director
Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

1900. Each coming into the situation under different circumstances, George Leach, Ruth Brewster, both who are trying to evade capture by the authorities, and writer Humphrey Van Weyden, from a refined background, somewhat reluctantly are on their first of the latest sailing of the Ghost, a sealing schooner, out of its home port of San Francisco. The Ghost is skippered with an iron fist by "Wolf" Larsen, who will not tolerate any question of his authority, and whose cruelty has turned his crew into a hardened lot. In that cruelty, he will often turn his adversaries against each other to his own end of that total control. While all three would like to get off, George and Ruth someplace other than San Francisco, they are being held somewhat captive by Wolf both in not interacting with any other ships and not making land until its ultimate return to San Francisco. Humphrey can see and discovers that Wolf is a mass of contradictions as the Ghost's true nature, which has to do with Wolf's similarly seafaring brother, remains hidden from most. Meanwhile, George does whatever he can to get off board safely with Ruth, especially as they have fallen in love partly in their fugitive status, and even if it requires trying to organize a mutiny under the condition of not knowing who to trust. Through the machinations of each trying to achieve their goal, Wolf may display to who it matters the most his working under the ultimate creed of preferring to "reign in hell than serve in heaven". Written by Huggo

Plot Keywords
Taglines Jack London's great novel of terror afloat. See more »
Genres
Parents Guide Add content advisory for parents »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • Le vaisseau fantôme (France)
  • El lobo de mar (Spain)
  • Vlk Larsen (Czechoslovakia)
  • O koursaros fantasma (Greece)
  • O Lobo do Mar (Portugal)
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Runtime
  • 100 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Box Office

Budget $1,013,217 (estimated)

Did You Know?

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Trivia The first movie to have its world premiere on a ship: the luxury liner "America" during a trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles. See more »
Goofs Actually, until the era of the 1st World War, the practice on-board a ship was to call orders for the helmsman to actually move the "tiller", either to port or to starboard. So calling "hard a-port" meant moving the tiller to port, which means the rudder, and the vessel, will then move to starboard. With wheel steering, putting the helm/tiller to port, means spinning the wheel to starboard. Ships no longer use this system - these days helm directions refer to the desired turn of the rudder/vessel. The James Cameron movie The Titanic also contained a similar scene, which generated a lot of puzzlement. It IS a bit confusing at first, unless one is a sailor and is familiar with tiller steering. See more »
Movie Connections Edited into The Sea Wolf (1993). See more »
Soundtracks Hello! Ma Baby See more »
Quotes Humphrey Van Weyden: There's a price no man will pay for living.
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