Themes: Obsessive Quests, Survival in the Wilderness, Immigrant Life
Main Cast: Spencer Tracy, Gene Tierney, Van Johnson, Lloyd Bridges, Leo Genn
Release Year: 1952
Country: US
Run Time: 105 minutes
Plot
Plymouth Adventure earned a footnote in film history as the last directorial effort by the prolific Clarence Brown. Otherwise, this colorful re-creation of the Pilgrims' journey to America is a workmanlike job, never inspired but always interesting. Spencer Tracy stars as bull-stubborn Captain Christopher Jones, who intends to guide the Mayflower to its destination come Hell, high water or any other obstacle. Since Jones is spiritually "wed" to his job, the film's romantic angle is handled by Van Johnson as John Alden and Dawn Addams as Patricia Mullen. Gene Tierney is second-billed as Dorothy Bradford, the ill-fated bride of future Plymouth Colony governor William Bradford. Though the film makes several departures from the facts (there's even a villain!), Plymouth Adventure tells its tale professionally and with satisfactory entertainment value. The film earned MGM artisan A. Arnold Gillespie an Academy Award for best special effects. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Cedric Gibbons - Art Director, Urie McCleary - Art Director, Walter Plunkett - Costume Designer, Ridgeway Callow - First Assistant Director, Clarence Brown - Director, Robert J. Kern - Editor, Miklos Rozsa - Composer (Music Score), William H. Daniels - Cinematographer, Dore Schary - Producer, Hugh Hunt - Set Designer, Edwin B. Willis - Set Designer, Arnold A. Gillespie - Special Effects, Warren Newcombe - Special Effects, Irving G. Ries - Special Effects, Helen Deutsch - Screenwriter, Ernest Gabler - Book Author
