Ocean Terminal

1952 0h 30m EN

👍

6.5

SOLID

⭐

7.2

IMDB

★6.5TMDB · 2★7.2IMDB · 23

Documentary

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Southampton, a deep-water port with four tides a day, is an ocean terminal for the world's largest liners. Their coming and going, and the people who work with them are the subject of this film as they reflect in their personal lives some of the drama and romance of its situation. Among them are a tug skipper and his crew, a stewardess on a Cape ship, an assistant wharfinger in charge of handling baggage and freight, a taxi driver, and a pilot taking a great liner down Southampton water at night.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Michael Goodliffe
Narrator (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: J.B. Holmes
Writers: Montagu Slater
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 30-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

74 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by J.B. Holmes, shot by James Ritchie. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor John Legard shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0368905 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 2 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

J.B. Holmes directs. James Ritchie behind the camera. John Legard cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 30-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
274 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by J.B. Holmes, shot by James Ritchie. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor John Legard shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6IMDB entry: tt0368905 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 2 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: James Ritchie
Editing: John Legard
Runtime: 30 min · 0h 30m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: Ocean Terminal (1952)
IMDB rating: 7.2/10 · 23 votes

Awards

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award1 nomination total

Also by

J.B. Holmes

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-02-07
★ 6/10
For those of us who only really remember seeing the "Queen Elizabeth" wrecked in Hong Kong harbour this is quite an interesting watch as she is pushed by tug boats from Southampton harbour about to start a cruise. The remainder of this rather over-scored short documentary engagingly illustrates the myriad of activities that keep this port functioning - and the people who turn out at all times of the day and in all weathers. Trains come and go, full of just about every commodity, including the Royal Mail, and the personnel must deal with the logistics of getting things and passengers in and out - a good excuse to see some old railway engines and some fine ships like the "Edinburgh Castle", the "Andes" the "Queen Mary" as well as some pea-soup thick sea-fog too. A (very) formal management structure shows us just how things are kept moving with everyone super-polite to each other as they ensure the daily routine never fails. It is a bit on the long side, but does give a sense of just how varied and important even the smallest of roles were keeping things safe and moving in this hectic environment.

Production companies