Atlantic Ferry

Atlantic Ferry a.k.a. Sons of the Sea
Atlantic Ferry a.k.a. Sons of the Sea
Directed by	Walter Forde
Written by	Derek MacIver (story); Wynne MacIver (story); Gordon Wellesley; Edward Dryhurst; Emeric Pressburger
Produced by	Max Milder (uncredited); Culley Forde (associate producer)
Starring	Michael Redgrave; Valerie Hobson; Griffith Jones
Cinematography	Basil Emmott
Edited by	Terence Fisher
Music by	Jack Beaver
Production; company	Warner Bros.
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release dates	6 September 1941 (UK); 7 February 1942 (U.S.);
Countries	United Kingdom; United States
Language	English
Budget	£97,355
Box office	£88,558

Atlantic Ferry (alternate U.S. title: Sons of the Sea) is a 1941 British film directed by Walter Forde and starring Michael Redgrave and Valerie Hobson.^[3] It was made at Teddington Studios.

Plot

In 1837 Liverpool, brothers Charles and David MacIver have great faith in steam-powered ships. Their first attempt, the coastal freighter Gigantic, proves to be an embarrassing and costly failure, sinking immediately after being launched. David becomes discouraged and, to save their failing shipping firm, agrees to a merger proposed by longtime rival George Burns.

Charles, however, is undaunted, despite being turned down by every banker when he seeks new funding. He gives his share of the family firm to David and sets out on his own. He teams up with Nova Scotian Samuel Cunard and engineer Robert Napier, and they build the RMS Britannia. They win a British mail contract and make the first steamship crossing of the Atlantic, from Liverpool to Boston, in record time, despite a storm that threatens to sink the ship.

Romantic complications ensue when both brothers fall in love with Mary Ann Morison, the daughter of an important government shipping official. She agrees to marry David (before she becomes acquainted with his brother), but it is Charles who wins her heart.

Cast

Michael Redgrave as Charles MacIver
Valerie Hobson as Mary Ann Morison
Griffith Jones as David MacIver
Hartley Power as Samuel Cunard
Margaretta Scott as Susan Donaldson
Bessie Love as Begonia Baggot
Milton Rosmer as George Burns
Frederick Leister as James Morison
Henry Oscar as Josiah Eagles
Edmund Willard as Robert Napier
Charles Victor as Tim Grogan
Frank Tickle as Mr. Donaldson
Leslie Bradley as Horatio Stubbs
Felix Aylmer as Bank president
Joss Ambler as Dr. Lardner

Reception

The film received neutral-to-negative reviews.^[4]^[5]^[6]

According to Warner Bros. records, it earned $87,000 domestically and $16,000 foreign.^[7]

References

^ Love, Bessie (1977). From Hollywood with Love: An Autobiography of Bessie Love. London: Elm Tree Books. p. 154. OCLC 734075937.
^ ^a ^b Steve Chibnall (2019) Hollywood-on-Thames: the British productions ofWarner Bros. – First National, 1931–1945, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, 39:4, 687-724, DOI: 10.1080/01439685.2019.1615292 at p 714
^ "Atlantic Ferry (1941)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 12 February 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
^ Anderson, L.C. (25 April 1942). "What the Picture Did for Me". Motion Picture Herald. p. 51. Put this one on the shelf. It won't suit folks who are accustomed to seeing good films made in America.
^ "Sons of the Sea (1942)". TCM.
^ "Sons of the Sea (1942)". AllMovie.
^ The William Schaefer Ledger, Appendix 1, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, (1995) 15:sup1, 1–31 p. 22 DOI: 10.1080/01439689508604551

External links

Atlantic Ferry at IMDb
Atlantic Ferry at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
Sons of the Sea at AllMovie
Sons of the Sea at the TCM Movie Database
Film stills from Picture Show Annual

[1] Love, Bessie (1977). From Hollywood with Love: An Autobiography of Bessie Love. London: Elm Tree Books. p. 154. OCLC 734075937.

[warnersone-2] Steve Chibnall (2019) Hollywood-on-Thames: the British productions ofWarner Bros. – First National, 1931–1945, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, 39:4, 687-724, DOI: 10.1080/01439685.2019.1615292 at p 714

[3] "Atlantic Ferry (1941)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 12 February 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2014.

[4] Anderson, L.C. (25 April 1942). "What the Picture Did for Me". Motion Picture Herald. p. 51. Put this one on the shelf. It won't suit folks who are accustomed to seeing good films made in America.

[5] "Sons of the Sea (1942)". TCM.

[6] "Sons of the Sea (1942)". AllMovie.

[warners-7] The William Schaefer Ledger, Appendix 1, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, (1995) 15:sup1, 1–31 p. 22 DOI: 10.1080/01439689508604551

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