Main Cast: Vivien Leigh, Simone Signoret, José Ferrer, Lee Marvin, Oskar Werner
Release Year: 1965
Country: US
Run Time: 149 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR
Plot
The first person the audience sees in Ship of Fools is dwarf Michael Dunn, who speaks to viewers directly and acts as a Greek chorus throughout the film. It begins on the deck of an ocean liner travelling from Vera Cruz to Bremerhaven. The time is the 1930s, so close and yet so far from war. The cross-section of humanity on board includes ship's doctor Oscar Werner, Spanish political activist Simone Signoret, aging coquette Vivien Leigh, hedonistic baseball player Lee Marvin, philosophical Jew Heinz Ruhmann, a smattering of pro- and anti-Hitlerites (Jose Ferrer plays the nastiest and most vocal "pro") and young lovers George Segal and Elizabeth Ashley. Yes, it's Grand Hotel at sea, a feast for stargazers and an endurance test for those who aren't comfortable with non-stop speechmaking. Despite such lines as "What can the Nazis do? Kill all six million of us?," Ship of Fools manages to stay afloat throughout its 148 minutes. Michael Dunn was nominated for an Academy Award for his interlocutory characterization; the rest of the performances range from brilliant to merely filling up the room. Other Oscars were presented to cinematographer Ernest Lazslo and to the art-direction staff. Ship of Fools was adapted by Abby Mann from the novel by Katharine Ann Porter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Ship of Fools was both lauded and derided for its seriousness of purpose when initially released, and like many of director Stanley Kramer's films, it deserves both reactions. As is frequently the case, Kramer concentrates more on making a statement than he should (and, consequently, less on making a movie than he should), and his sometimes "art-y" pretensions ultimately only add to the soap opera-ish elements of the story. However, if one looks past the overly serious tone and the failed allegorical aspects of Fools, one is left with a highly enjoyable, glossy old-Hollywood style movie that is quite enjoyable, if a bit long. While much of the dialogue is artificial, that artifice seems of a piece with the style of the movie, and it does allow a number of first rate actors the chance to show off their stuff. Indeed, it is the cast -- as well as the lustrous cinematography of Ernest Laszlo and the impressive physical production -- that make Fools so enjoyable. Chief honors among a generally strong ensemble go to Simone Signoret, Oskar Werner,Vivien Leigh and Michael Dunn, each of whom clearly knows what buttons to push and doesn't hesitate to push them. Fools may not be as meaningful a film as it wants to be, but it's an engrossing and tremendously entertaining melodrama. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
It was to be Vivien Leigh's last film. The Fat Man was portrayed by Henry Calvin who was known for starring on Walt Disney's TV series Zorro as Sergeant Demetrio Lopez Garcia.
