This is a very good movie about a group of people that make it to a life boat after a German U-boat sunk their ship. It includes both passengers and crew, and a member of the crew that sunk them. Connie Porter (Tallulah Bankhead) was the first on the boat, having ben put there by a crew member. She is taking pictures for publication. The boat is then caught by a crew member, John Kovac (John Hodiak) from the engine room who was on break when the ship was hit. He asserts himself as captain. Gus Smith (William Bendix) another crew member who has been shot in the leg. Stanley "Sparks" Garrett (Hume Cronyn) is a radio operator. Alice McKenzie (Mary Anderson) is and army nurse. She takes to fixing Smith's leg as best she can. Charles J. Rittenhouse (Henry Hull) arrives next. H is a wealthy industrialist. Joe Spencer (Canada Lee) African American steward arrives with a woman, Mrs. Higley (Heather Angel) who is clutching her baby. Spencer explains he had to drag her along as she has tried to drown the baby and herself. The baby dies. She is in shell shock and very distraught. Lastly Willi (Walter Slezak) arrives and the quickly he is German and from the U-boat which was sunk.
There is a feeling to throw the German back, but calmer voices prevail and they keep him for now. He is the only one with a compass which he keeps hid, but he influences them to go towards German resupply ships instead of Bermuda where they want to go. Mrs Higley is shell shocked and after missing her baby wants to join her. They have to tie her up, but when they are all asleep she manages to slip over the side.
During the course of being marooned, Porter loses everything, first her camera, then her fur coat which she gives to Mrs. Higley before she goes over the side, her typewriter gets knocked over the side. Even her bracelet which she uses to attract fish but then it gets away. Those on the boat facer storms, thirst, hunger, nerves, the boat filling with water, not knowing which way to go, treachery and people from different backgrounds.
Smith, really Schmidt, gets gangrene in his leg. The German, (they discover he is the captain) indicates he has a history of being a doctor and cuts off the leg to save his life. However over time Smith is so thirsty he starts drinking sea water. He becomes delusional. With the German captain encouraging him, he goes overboard to join his girl. The others are distraught with him when they discover this, and that he has water. That was why he got Smith to go over the edge as he had discovered this. They finally throw the German overboard, just before they are found by a German resupply ship. However the ship is under attack and they are in the middle of the fight. When the resupply ship is sunk they are set to be rescued. Based on the book by John Steinbeck. This is a very good Hitchcock, and is a very good study of persons under pressure as are John Steinbeck's books.
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