Plot
John Wayne plays anti-Nazi Prussian sea captain Karl Erlich in Sea Chase, one of the many film commentaries released post WWII. Though staunchly opposed to the Nazi regime, Karl (Wayne) feels it would nevertheless be unpatriotic should he refuse to save his ship from destruction. His ship--an old, rusty 5,000 ton freighter named the Ergenstrasse--is being pursued by a British warship on his journey from Australia back to Germany. Captain Erlich does everything he can to save his ship and his crew, but the process is long and dangerous, particularly without a plentiful supply of fuel and provisions. Erlich must face obstacles ranging from horrendous sea storms and shark attacks to false murder accusations, and it seems his only devotee is Elsa (Lana Turner), a beautiful German spy. Despite nearly falling to the determined English ship and a mutiny attempt by his own crew, Captain Erlich manages to survive what was anything but a routine trip back to his home country. ~ Tracie Cooper, RoviReview
The Sea Chase is a moderately entertaining sea yarn that will perhaps most please fans of stars John Wayne and Lana Turner, for both are given ample screen time. It would be a pleasure to report that all the screen time was spent on exploring engrossing characters or in pursuit of a lively, captivating story, but that is not the case. Despite the thrills that the title promises, Chase is a surprisingly placid affair. Oh, there are "action" sequences a plenty; but they provide action without a great deal of drama and thus don't have the impact desired. Director John Farrow is not operating at the top of his game here, turning in a mediocre job that doesn't take advantage of the many exciting opportunities it presents. Granted, he's trying to get across the fact that there's a great deal of "dead time" associated with a globe-spanning sea voyage, and this he does effectively, but at the cost of drama and audience involvement. Wayne and Tuerner come across well, but they're hampered by the lack of developed characters and so essentially fall back on familiar tricks; it provides interest but it isn't the best work for either performer. Supporting players are well cast, and the film has a good look, with very good lensing by William H. Clothier. ~ Craig Butler, RoviCast
- John Wayne - Capt. Karl Erlich
- Lana Turner - Elsa Keller
- David Farrar - Comdr. Napier
- Lyle Bettger - Krichner
- Tab Hunter - Cadet Wesser
Credit
Franz Bachelin - Art Director, Moss Mabry - Costume Designer, Emmett Emerson - First Assistant Director, Russell Llewellyn - First Assistant Director, John Farrow - Director, William H. Ziegler - Editor, Roy Webb - Composer (Music Score), Gordon Bau - Makeup, William H. Clothier - Cinematographer, John Farrow - Producer, William Wallace - Set Designer, H.F. Koenekamp - Special Effects, Francis J. Scheid - Sound/Sound Designer, Derek N. Twist - Screenwriter, James Warner Bellah - Screenwriter, John Twist - Screenwriter, Andrew Geer - Short Story Author| The Sea Change (1998 Film), The Sea Beast (1926 Film) | |
| The Sea Gave up Its Dead (1915 Film), The Sea Ghost (1931 Film) |
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