The Sea Chase

"JOHN WAYNE - a skipper sworn never to be taken! LANA TURNER - the fuse of his floating time-bomb!"

1955 1h 57m EN

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 55

WarActionDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

As the Second World War breaks out, German freighter captain Karl Ehrlich is about to leave Sydney, Australia with his vessel, the Ergenstrasse. Ehrlich, an anti-Nazi but proud German, hopes to outrun or out-maneuver the British warship pursuing him. Aboard his vessel is Elsa Keller, a woman Ehrlich has been ordered to return to Germany safely along with whatever secrets she carries. When Ehrlich's fiercely Nazi chief officer Kirchner commits an atrocity, the British pursuit becomes deadly.

“JOHN WAYNE - a skipper sworn never to be taken! LANA TURNER - the fuse of his floating time-bomb!”

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Cast

John Wayne
Captain Karl Ehrlich
Lana Turner
Elsa Keller
David Farrar
Commander Jeff Napier
James Arness
Schlieter
Tab Hunter
Cadet Wesser
Lyle Bettger
Chief Officer Kirchner
Paul Fix
Max Heinz
Claude Akins
Winkler

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: John Farrow
Writers: John Twist, James Warner Bellah
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

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 / 8

ERA

Did you know

71 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CRAFT

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by John Farrow, shot by William H. Clothier. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Roy Webb. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

John Wayne and Lana Turner and David Farrar carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "JOHN WAYNE - a skipper sworn never to be taken! LANA TURNER - the fuse of his floating time-bomb!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0048593 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

John Farrow directs. William H. Clothier behind the camera. Roy Webb scores. William H. Ziegler cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

171 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
3Directed by John Farrow, shot by William H. Clothier. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Roy Webb. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor William H. Ziegler shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6John Wayne and Lana Turner and David Farrar carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "JOHN WAYNE - a skipper sworn never to be taken! LANA TURNER - the fuse of his floating time-bomb!".
8IMDB entry: tt0048593 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 55 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Classified under 9 themes, including "world war ii", "female spy", "pacific theater", "freighter".