“Lifeboat” (1944) directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Tallulah Bankhead, John Hodiak, Walter Slezak & William Bendix / Z-View
Lifeboat (1944)
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Screenplay: Jo Swerling, story by John Steinbeck
Stars: Tallulah Bankhead, John Hodiak, Walter Slezak, William Bendix, Mary Anderson, Henry Hull, Heather Angel, Hume Cronyn, Canada Lee and William Yetter Jr.
Tagline: What happens when six men and three women are alone in an open boat ?
The Plot…
During a World War II a submarine sinks a passenger ship, but is also sunk. There are only eight survivors. They end up in the same lifeboat. Introductions show they’re from diverse backgrounds. There are three ship workers, a famous columnist, a rich man, and three ship passengers (one a mother whose baby was killed in the attack).
When they see another man attempting to get in the lifeboat, they assist him. The last survivor turns out to be a German soldier from the submarine. The initial thought is to kill him. Luckily for him, the vote is to spare his life.
Lost at sea, with little food or water, the odds of survival are slim. What none know is one of them has secrets that could get them all killed.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Lifeboat was nominated for three Academy Awards…
- nominee Best Director – Alfred Hitchcock
- nominee Best Writing, Original Story – John Steinbeck
- nominee Best Cinematography, Black-and-White – Glen MacWilliams
It was a rough shoot completed in a gigantic water tank. The actors were in a free-floating boat constantly sprayed with water and a mist concoction of water/oil/dry ice. Twice production had to be stopped due to actors’ illnesses and injury.
Lifeboat has no musical score which was unusual for the time.
Alfred Hitchcock originally wanted his cameo to be a dead body floating in the water. It was changed and Hitch’s image appears in a newspaper ad.
William Bendix steals every scene he’s in.
Lifeboat (1944) rates 5 of 5 stars.
