Cooper and Raft save lives during a sea tragedy in this story about slave trade on the high seas in 1842.Cooper and Raft save lives during a sea tragedy in this story about slave trade on the high seas in 1842.Cooper and Raft save lives during a sea tragedy in this story about slave trade on the high seas in 1842.
- Nominated for 3 Oscars
- 3 nominations total
Norman Ainsley
- Ticket Taker
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaSilent-screen star John Bowers, who had not worked in films since the advent of sound crippled his career in 1931, heard that old friend Henry Hathaway was shooting this film on Catalina Island. He rented a 16-foot sloop and sailed there, hoping to land a part. Unfortunately, he did not, and he left the island but did not return; his drowned body washed up on the shore at Santa Monica. His apparent suicide was the inspiration for the character of Norman Maine in the three versions of "A Star Is Born."
- GoofsReading Hamlet aloud, Gary Cooper says, "the thousand natural shocks that the flesh is heir to." The second "the" is a mistake--it spoils the scansion.
- Quotes
Michael 'Nuggin' Taylor: The floor of the ocean is paved with the bones of slaves.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Make Way for Tomorrow (1937)
Featured review
Yo-di-yo-di-yo
Gary Cooper (Nuggin) is on trial for manslaughter at sea. He is accused of playing God and deciding who lives and who dies on a sinking ship in the Atlantic Ocean. The verdict is pronounced and then George Zucco (Woodley) steps forward to give a statement and we head into flashback for the film's story. It is one that is set on the seas and involves slavery versus anti-slavery, romance and is partly a buddy-buddy movie with Cooper and his friend George Raft (Powdah). There is also tragedy and the story is based on an incident that set a precedent in maritime law.
It's an entertaining film with twists as to who is doing what so pay attention. It also has an interesting angle due to the legal significance of the story, and all the cast play their roles well. If you take note at the beginning of the film during the prosecutor's speech in the court case, he mentions some of those who didn't survive the tragedy. We will be introduced to these characters when the film moves onto the doomed ship.
Would you throw people out of a lifeboat to ensure the survival of at least some of them rather than the death of all of them? Every man for himself or do passengers come first? Why not just fly instead?
It's an entertaining film with twists as to who is doing what so pay attention. It also has an interesting angle due to the legal significance of the story, and all the cast play their roles well. If you take note at the beginning of the film during the prosecutor's speech in the court case, he mentions some of those who didn't survive the tragedy. We will be introduced to these characters when the film moves onto the doomed ship.
Would you throw people out of a lifeboat to ensure the survival of at least some of them rather than the death of all of them? Every man for himself or do passengers come first? Why not just fly instead?
helpful•10
- AAdaSC
- Jan 25, 2023
- How long is Souls at Sea?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 32 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content