The Silver Screen Oasis

Next week I set sail on a two week cruise of the Mexican Riviera and I want to take a dozen movies with me that take place on cruise liners. I already have the Barbara Stanwyk's Titanic, Now Voyager, Follow the Fleet, and that awful DiCaprio Titanic. I'm going to try to find The Poseidon Adventure today. Can you help me think of others? (I've considered The Old Man and the Sea.)

If I can't get enough, I suppose I could take some with Mexican themes. I suppose I should take Night of the Iguana anyway, since we'll be in Acapulco...

I welcome any suggestions. Comedies would be nice. Ohh! I just thought of The Lady Eve! What's the one with John Garfield and Eleanor Parker sailing to their death? Please don't force me to get Dead Calm. It was a remake of another... [Ugh, my memory!] Any more?

Thanks and Ahoy!

Sounds like a lot of fun! Wish I were you!

A few others I would suggest (if you can find them):

*History is Made at Night (1937, Frank Borzage) - not on DVD, at least stateside
*Romance on the High Seas (1948, Michael Curtiz) - corny fun
*A Night at the Opera (1935, Sam Wood) - how could you pass up the stateroom scene?
*Lifeboat (1944, Alfred Hitchcock) - well, ships figure into the basic plot, at least...
*Ship of Fools (1965, Stanley Kramer) - depressing but fills the bill...

Might be able to think of more suggestions later...

-Stephen

Thanks SR! I forgot: Yes, I have Night at the Opera on my stack. But I'd forgotten Romance on the High Sea. Thanks! Lifeboat -- good call! It's just cruel to mention the Borzage though, if I can't find it on DVD.

The John Garfield picture is BETWEEN TWO WORLDS (1944) but I don't think it's ever been released on DVD. You might want to find out if the original 1970s TV series LOVE BOAT has been released, though.

If you like the Marx Bros. as much as I do, you might also take Monkey Business (1931), which is also set on an ocean liner. But if you're the type who can only stand so much of the Marx Bros., I'd definitely opt for Opera, which contains more choice moments both on and off the ship.

For more musical fun, there's also Week-end in Havana, with Carmen Miranda, Cesar Romero and Alice Faye.

For a good mystery, maybe Death on the Nile (1978) would qualify (good star-studded cast). And then for another disaster-type flick, you could try The Last Voyage (1960), with Bob Stack and George Sanders.

If you're open to more contemporary fare, you could also take Lemmon and Matthau's Out to Sea (1997).

And then if you want to take the best Titanic movie (at least in my humble opinion), you could also take A Night to Remember (1958), but then that would be 3 Titanic films (personally, I'd choose to leave the DiCaprio version behind).

Sorry, I just enjoy this type of thing. I'll shut up and sit down now...

-Stephen

Are you taking us with you on a laptop like Larry did to Russia? I know you'll say 'hmmmph' with this one, but it might be fun. Fun in Acapulco or Blue Hawaii, starring Elvis. The reason being, if you're going sightseeing, his movies usually included a lot of location scenery. I'm not sure about Acapulco, but I do know Blue Hawaii was filmed on location, that is why he decided to do his come-back stage show from there.

Anne

Well . . .
My favorite ocean-liner flick is Goliath Awaits . . but you probably wouldn't find it very cheery viewing while you are cruising . . 'sides, as it was originally a made-for-TV 2-parter, and now is attaining an unforeseen cult status, it can be difficult, and often pricey, to put your hands on!

srowley75 wrote:If you like the Marx Bros. as much as I do, you might also take Monkey Business (1931), which is also set on an ocean liner. But if you're the type who can only stand so much of the Marx Bros., I'd definitely opt for Opera, which contains more choice moments both on and off the ship.

For more musical fun, there's also Week-end in Havana, with Carmen Miranda, Cesar Romero and Alice Faye.

For a good mystery, maybe Death on the Nile (1978) would qualify (good star-studded cast). And then for another disaster-type flick, you could try The Last Voyage (1960), with Bob Stack and George Sanders.

If you're open to more contemporary fare, you could also take Lemmon and Matthau's Out to Sea (1997).

And then if you want to take the best Titanic movie (at least in my humble opinion), you could also take A Night to Remember (1958), but then that would be 3 Titanic films (personally, I'd choose to leave the DiCaprio version behind).

Sorry, I just enjoy this type of thing. I'll shut up and sit down now...

-Stephen

I love the Marx Bros., but the pal I'm going with knows nothing about classic films. His all-time favorite movie is DiCaprio/Winslet Titanic. He's never heard of Marie Dressler, Kay Francis, Randolph Scott, etc. So I'd love to expose him to some older flicks. It'll be interesting to see which films a neophyte would enjoy.

Weekend in Havana! Perfect! ['Cause I own it already.]

Dewey1960 wrote:The John Garfield picture is BETWEEN TWO WORLDS (1944) but I don't think it's ever been released on DVD. You might want to find out if the original 1970s TV series LOVE BOAT has been released, though.

Between Two Worlds! Thanks Dewey! I loaded Charo's extended version of the theme song from Love Boat on my IPod for the trip.

mrsl wrote:Are you taking us with you on a laptop like Larry did to Russia? I know you'll say 'hmmmph' with this one, but it might be fun. Fun in Acapulco or Blue Hawaii, starring Elvis. The reason being, if you're going sightseeing, his movies usually included a lot of location scenery. I'm not sure about Acapulco, but I do know Blue Hawaii was filmed on location, that is why he decided to do his come-back stage show from there.

Anne! Fun in Acapulco sound perfect! I'll skip Blue Hawai'i though. I took it with us for our Kauai trip last April, and I don't remember any cruise liners nor Mexico in it. Elvis in Acapulco is spot on though. Thanks.

P.S. to Stephen. Don't shut up. Keep 'em comin'! I love it.

Bon Voyage Moraldo,
You might have to hunt down dvd-r copies of some of the following, but some of them are well worth it. Happy sailing--

For adventure and drama on the high seas, how about taking along Billy Budd, Son of Fury, Moby Dick, The Long Voyage Home, Two Years Before the Mast, Down to the Sea in Ships, Captain Blood, The Sea Wolf, The Most Dangerous Game, and The Sea Hawk on your voyage?

For slightly more modern fare, featuring danger, there's Across the Pacific, Journey Into Fear, The Wreck of the Mary Deare, Abandon Ship!, Dangerous Crossing, & a doozey but a strangely compelling Nazi version of Titanic (1943) with Sybille Schmitz, among others.

For romance, there's One Way Passage (1932), it's lovely remake, 'Til We Meet Again (1940), The Sea Wife, Love Affair, and my all time fave, The Story of Three Loves?

I've always felt slightly apologetic for being partial to the following: two slightly dumb but beautiful looking films called The Dove (1974) and Twilight for the Gods (1958) and The World in His Arms (1952). Also, if you liked the miniseries of Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited, (not the movie, which I heard was dreadful), there's a long sequence on board an ocean liner!

Have a wonderful time and come back tan and relaxed.

Ooohhh...just one more....(make that two...ack...)

If you want another comedy, maybe-just maybe-The Glass Bottom Boat would work. I seem to remember that the finale takes place on board a ship, but maybe I'm mistaken. And another that might fit the bill is The Navigator (1924) with Buster Keaton - although I think Buster and his girl are on a yacht, not a ship.

Just because I'm such a huge fan, I'd probably try to also get my hands on a few thematically appropriate Looney Tunes cartoons. I know there are some Bugs Bunny and Sylvester and Tweety shorts that take place on board cruise ships.

Personally, I'd probably want more light fare as well. I'd leave all the disaster films behind (I'm nervous and paranoid enough as it is) and take the comedies and musicals. The ones you've already selected sound sensational, especially if you're traveling with a classic movie novice. I love The Lady Eve and would have a blast watching that one with a first-timer.

-Stephen

Don't forget: THE AFRICAN QUEEN, CONTRABAND, DAS BOOT, GHOST SHIP, MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY, SINK THE BISMARCK, WATERWORLD and...CABIN BOY.

Have a great time!

Dear ChiO,

"Lifeboat" directed by Alfred Hitchcock (1944),with William Bendix, Tallulah Bankhead, John Hodiak, Hume Cronyn, Henry Hull and Walter Slezak surely tops my list. Enjoy your cruise and let me wish you a Bon Voyage! By the way, let me thank you for all of your communication while I was going through such a rough stretch a short while back, it meant the world to me, unsolicited as it was. I've been collecting postal cards from different SSO members while they were on vacation. If it's possible, I'd like to ask the same favor from you. I frame them and either hang or otherwise display them. If you could, place the card in an envelope to prevent it from being damaged en route. My address is:

Hollis Hufford
208 Fairhope Ave
Apt 19
Fairhope, AL 36532

Thanks ever so much my friend,

As always,

Hollis

How about Now Voyager .
Death On The Nile

Hey Marco,

Glad you're going on a cruise and hope you'll have a great time.

If you're going to visit Acapulco, then go for a drink in "The Americana Hotel" - that's the one Hedy Lamarr's husband, Teddy Stauffer, owned in the early fifties.
And, see if you can tour or at least view Merle Oberon's villa, Ghalal, although I don't know who owns it now.
The last I heard it was owned by the Shah's sister, Princess Shams, but she's dead now many years.

Have a good time!! And let us know your adventures....

Larry