User Reviews

Jack London's novels usually dealt with the interrelationship between man and nature. Herbert Spencer had corrupted and popularized the theories of Charles Darwin as "the survival of the fittest," something Darwin never wrote and wouldn't have believed anyway. In London's best works Spencer's jargon is not promoted but rather utilized to discredit the doctrine which was being bastardized by the robber barons in the pre-Great Depression world of big business to justify their millions of largely untaxed loot. Not surprisingly London was a socialist. Power hungry, egotistical humans are depicted as animals whose characteristics they share. Wolf Larsen is not unlike a wolf who stalks his prey to devour it one piece at a time.

Though there are significant differences between the novel and the movie, "The Sea Wolf" remains true to form. London would have undoubtedly approved of the film version of perhaps his best work. Wolf Larsen who identifies with the master poet John Milton not just because Milton went blind in a similar way that Larsen was going blind but also because Satan in the serpent as described by Milton in "Paradise Lost" believes many notions that Larsen believes. That he underlines the famous passage, "Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven" is indicative of how Larsen views himself.

The consummate actor Edward G. Robinson, who could play any role as if he were that particular character, breathes life into this very complex personality. Obviously Larsen has a conscience and is not totally corrupt and evil. During the famous, telling scene when Dr. Louis "Louie" J. Prescott played to perfection by Gene Lockhart is kicked down the stairs by Larsen just after the sea wolf has told the crew not to pick on him anymore, the viewer can tell by the look in Larsen's eyes and the expression on his face that he has a degree of remorse for what happens next. Satan in the serpent would not possess any remorse. The true embodiment of evil is the Igor-type creature everyone calls Cooky (Barry Fitzgerald, playing against type and giving perhaps the best performance of his career). Full of hate, insidiously mocking his crew mates and anyone else with whom he makes contact, this vile little man shows no redeeming qualities whatsoever. In some ways Larsen is actually jealous of Cooky for being more iniquitous than himself, hence why Larsen turns on him.

A major weakness is the somewhat frivolous romance between George Leach (John Garfield) and Ruth Brewster (Ida Lupino). Both fugitives, it is quite understandable how the two are attracted to each other but that the two would become so close so soon is highly unlikely. Garfield and the multi-talented Lupino were two of the best Thespians of their generation so expect standout performances by each.

A somewhat wild card in the acting department is Alexander Knox as the sensitive writer Humphrey Van Weyden. Later Knox would receive accolades playing President Woodrow Wilson. He does so well in this film the viewer wonders what would have happened had Knox not become overly identified as Wilson to the extent that he never again got a suitable role for his talents. London obviously split his personality when he wrote himself into "The Sea Wolf." His literary side is represented by Humphrey, his adventurous romantic side by Leach.

It's amazing what a really good actor can pull off. In the Jack London novel on which this film was loosely based, Wolf Larson is tall, blond, Scandinavian, an "ubermensch" flaunting his invincible strength and power over other men. Edward G. Robinson was very short and dark, almost gnome-like with little stubby hands, a homely face and nasal voice. Yet somehow he fills this improbable role, making Larson at once larger than life and credibly human.

Larson is, of course, the "sea wolf" of the title, captain of the Ghost, a mysterious, perpetually fog-enshrouded schooner. Manned by a crew of brutal and brutalized men, the ship is ostensibly hunting seals, but its real destination is a show-down with Wolf's brother, the even more colorfully named Death Larson. We never learn much about this sibling feud, or about the backgrounds of the major characters. Aside from Larson, there is George Leach (John Garfield), who signs on with the ship to escape a prison rap, and two passengers rescued from the wreck of a ferry in San Francisco harbor: Ruth (Ida Lupino), an escaped convict, and Van Weyden, a well-bred writer who becomes, as observer and interpreter of the action, the film's central consciousness. Larson refuses to put the two castaways ashore, seemingly out of pure spite. Leach plots to escape the ship, and the threat of mutiny hangs in the air.

As this summary suggests, the movie's plot is as foggy as its atmosphere, but this doesn't matter very much. The atmosphere, at once raffish and eerie, and the beautifully drawn characters provide plenty of interest, and there is also a serious and compelling theme. Larson's motto (from Milton) is "better to reign in hell than serve in heaven." Van Weyden, who becomes the secretly intellectual captain's confidant, realizes that Larson is afraid to leave his ship because only as its captain can he enjoy absolute power; on shore he would be forced to compete with his equals and betters. His sport is humiliating his victims and stripping them of dignity and self-respect. He gratuitously insults and torments all those who attempt to challenge him: in addition to Leach and Ruth, there is Louis (the excellent Gene Lockhart), a broken, alcoholic doctor who tries to recover his dignity after saving Ruth's life with a transfusion of Leach's blood. Larson won't let him, of course, and his desperate response prompts the writer's comment, "There is a price no man will pay for living." Larson even turns against Cookie (Barry Fitzgerald), his most loyal crew-member. Fitzgerald is spectacularly loathsome, shrieking with laughter and scuttling around his galley like a demonic leprechaun.

John Garfield, to his credit, was never reluctant to take supporting roles in films he admired. His part here, while secondary, is a pip: a defiant young roughneck, smarting with wounded pride, looking terrific in a tattered sweater and fisherman's cap. He gets a great introduction in the first scene, walking into a waterfront dive where he brushes off a pickpocket ("If you find anything in there, brother, I'll share it with you") and knocks out the recruiter who tries to slip him a mickey. On board the Ghost, he's the only one of the sailors who rebels against Larson; when ordered to address the captain with respect, he manages to make "sir" sound like a four-letter word. "Don't worry," he says before the transfusion, "This kind of blood never cools off."

Ida Lupino is wonderful (when was she not?) as the convict who has lost her spirit; her pathetic lady-like act keeps giving way to flashes of anger and underlying sadness. She and Garfield make a perfect couple, and their romance, which could have seemed like a sop to the box office, is deeply touching. Like Garfield, Lupino regularly played tough, resentful hard-luck kids. But her pale, waif-like delicacy and wistfulness contrast nicely with Garfield's rough-hewn sturdiness and combustible temper. They have three good scenes together: one where she finds him huddled like a whipped puppy in the ship's hold (he has been beaten after assaulting the captain) and they smoke cigarettes together. Initially hostile—he tells her scornfully that he only stood up for her because "I can't even stand to see a dog beg, much less a human being"—they quickly bond. He urges her to keep fighting and boasts that Larson can never break his spirit, while she wearily responds that nothing makes any difference to her anymore. Later they talk in a doorway, Ida in her nightgown, and he touches her arm, realizing that his own blood is running through it. They don't kiss, but their chemistry is palpable. Finally they play a love scene on either side of a locked iron door, whispering to each other with their lips touching the wall between them.

Eventually Larson's invincibility starts to crack, as he suffers from crippling migraines and hysterical blindness. He remains too vicious to arouse any pity, but Robinson makes him a fascinating monster. He conveys such a dominant, overpowering will that you hardly notice he's not physically imposing; his sneering voice, nasty laugh and devious intelligence make him genuinely scary. The intense performances of the whole cast knit together this unusual blend of boy's-adventure-story entertainment and serious drama, a classic of the Warner Brothers' minor-key style.

This is probably the best remembered version of the Jack London tale. A ruthless and savvy sea captain(Edward G. Robinson)reluctantly rescues a shipwreck and puts his unplanned passengers to work on his ship. Soon he is forced to deal with an enraged, rebellious crew. Directed expertly by Michael Curtiz.

Robinson is great as the meglomaniacal master of the ship. Outstanding performances from Ida Lupino and John Garfield. Also in supporting roles are Howard Da Silva, Barry Fitzgerald and Alexander Knox. Watch this in tandem with another Curtiz swashbuckler SEA HAWK(1940)along with popcorn shrimp and dramamine...talk about adventure.

Good film that combines action and psychology and film noir. Edward G. Robinson stars as Larson, the cruel captain of the Ghost, a ship no one wants to sail on. John Garfield and Ida Lupino are people running away from their pasts, and Alexander Knox is an unlucky writer. These three people end up on the Ghost through coincidence. Also onboard are Gene Lockhart as a boozy doctor and Barry Fitzgerald as a psychotic cook. All 5 stars are great in this neat little film that bears little resemblance to the Jack London novel, but who cares. Beautifully filmed with lots of fog and terrific closeups. Garfield and Lupino make a great couple and match each other angst for angst. Knox is best remembered for his starring role in Wilson but is very effective here as well. Robinson seemingly could play any role. He must stand as the most underrated actor of the 30s and 40s. Never Oscar nominated, Robinson nevertheless had a career that spanned decades and never gave a bad performance. The Sea Wolf is a definite nominee for anyone's "must see" list.

One of the great classics Directed by the gifted tyrant Micheal Curtiz. Every performance is excellent with Edward G. giving one of his best. Curtiz did not make boring films, this speeds along at under 90 minutes without a dull moment. The miniature work is even good, note the scene near the beginning with the row boat in the bay. That is a miniature in a tank but pretty damn convincing. Flawless and gripping.

"I've spit in the eye of better men than you for saying less", boatswain John Garfield snarls at sadistic captain Edward G. Robinson in this gritty film noir, set in the open sea, but fenced in, very noir-like, by constant dense fog.

I believe Raoul Walsh would have made a more dynamic film over Jack London's novel than Michael Curtiz did, but it is still a pretty good watch any day of the week. Robert Rossen wrote the screenplay which is well-structured, but far too literal and talkative for the pacing of a dramatic work of art. The lighting of the set, basically just the ship 'The Ghost', is brilliant, Erich Wolfgang Korngold's score must count among his best, highly effective and evocative.

Acting is on a very high level, with Robinson grabbing a first prize for his portrayal of the complex sadist 'Wolf' Larson. John Garfield is his swarthy and sexy adversary, and Barry Fitzgerald turns his signature role of the Irish leprechaun on its head with his vicious, diabolical snitch of a sailor, truly scary, a virtuoso performance.

The Jack London book on which the film is based is rich in characterizations and philosophy, but rather poorly constructed and plotted. Rossen has substantially and quite artfully turned this into a rather taught seaborne suspense picture. What we lose is much of what makes Wolf Larsen into one of the greatest anti-heroes in literature. That is really only alluded to in the film. What we gain is the integration of the Maud story-line, correcting the worst flaw of the novel. It's a masterful solution showing just how good of writer Rossen was. Don't watch this to write a book report on the novel though. The plot is completely reworked. Garfield and Robinson are tremendous. Ida Lupino is too, for what little we see of her. Her power helps make the Maud character big enough to make sense. Any lesser actress would have been as submerged as... Well I can't say, that would spoil it.

I gave "The Sea Wolf" 10 of 10. I wish I could give it more. It is, my wife says with detachment, a male movie, the kind men and boys like: adventure, action, lots of people hitting each other. I disagree. Since she declines to watch it, we leave it at that. I do disagree. "The Sea Wolf" is one of the most beautiful movies I know. It is also, in my opinion, the most beautiful film Michael Curtiz did. And I include "Casablanca" in that assessment. Curtiz must have seen in Robert Rossen's brilliant script loneliness and desolation. In the story of men, and a woman, wandering on a soundless ocean under the hand of a tyrannical master, he must have felt a return to his roots in the cinema of German expressionism. He found a kindred spirit in cinematographer Sol Polito, Italian master of German expressionism. The scenes are breathtakingly evocative, from the first shots: a fog-enshrouded street, a carriage passes, dissolute people laugh, a policeman's whistle, a running man, to the last image, George and Ruth drift toward an island of salvation, from the first words as the pickpocket's hand is stopped ("If you find anything in there, brother, I'll share it with you") to the end ("I knew it was a trick, I knew it"). Water is life. Here it is death. Water, not the sea, is the metaphor. Ruth and van Weyden are hauled into the "Ghost," ship of doom. A burst of water wipes the screen. Van Weyden awakes aboard ship. Our first sight is a crash of water, then another, against the porthole. He reaches the deck. He sees water hurled upon a dying man, the first mate, again and again. Cooky opens another porthole. Water drenches him. Water in the lifeboat is poisoned. As the "Ghost" sinks, water does not rise but rushes down on Wolf Larsen.

Who could ask for a sadistic captain better than Edward G. Robinson? He brings out the character's complexity. Wolf Larsen understands that the world has warped him. Yet he embraces his distorted life. Who could play a deliberate, intellectual character better than Alexander Knox (Hollywood's Woodrow Wilson)? His monologues, reciting from memory passages of an unwritten book, are perfect. Who could do an anguished, desperate woman better than Ida Lupino? - her cry, "you should have let me die," her plea, "leave me; I'm a jinx." It is amazing how she could hold her own, the only woman in an entire cast of men all playing blackguards and misfits. John Garfield is at his most intense. When he struggles against Wolf Larsen's oppression ("we're not nobodies, we're somebodies"), I see him confronting the blacklist that finally killed him. And there's fellow future-victim Howard da Silva alongside. Barry Fitzgerald must have relished his role, relieved of playing lovable tipsy Irishmen. He gets his teeth into this one, a low, lascivious, murderous scoundrel. He bites it, chews it, and spits it out. Gene Lockhart gets a rare chance to let loose. Stanley Ridges, Francis McDonald, Ralf Harolde, Louis Mason (noticeable in a bit part as always), among the best, most versatile character actors, fill out the cast. All of it plays to the accompaniment of Erich Wolfgang Korngold's score full of leitmotifs. Four portentous notes evoke the advent of Wolf Larsen's ship of evil. Rising and falling arpeggios signal the onset of his migraines and blindness. A forlorn theme trails Lupino and Garfield.

Two scenes, for me, are incomparable. Early in the film the small boat carrying Garfield to the "Ghost" disappears into the fog. A ferry, the "Martinez" bound presumably for that city, emerges from the right. The music shifts, sharp, jarring triplets over ominous chords. We see the ferry's wheelhouse. Captain and pilot peer anxiously ahead. The camera films them lit from below. The foghorn wails desperately. Alexander Knox stands on deck. Disaster impends somewhere. I know it was all done in Warner Brothers' water tank and with models. No "Titanic," even the high-tech epic, does it as well. The other scene - I say this sincerely - is one of the greatest moments ever filmed. George lies beaten in the hold. Ruth enters. Backlit, she stands framed against the open door. Backlighting follows her into the darkness. Behind it, Korngold lays a soft curtain of sound, a simple, melancholy theme first in the harmonica then taken up by strings: a pick-up, two quarter notes, two eighths, quarter; no more. Garfield and Lupino sit facing. The camera moves closer, then closer. Finally, Lupino's fraught face fills the screen. She lifts despairing eyes: "to be free, to be let alone, to live in peace, if only for a little while." Garfield's face replaces hers. Motion freezes, for a second. The screen goes black. A macho adventure, as my wife says? Perhaps. But it is a film of transcendent grace, a product of transcendent genius.

This classic version about known novel by Jack London deals about two young people, a writer named Van Weiden(Alexander Knox, in his screen debut) and a beautiful girl(Ida Lupino, a future filmmaker) escaped from reformatory. They're shipwrecked and picked up aboard by a ship called ¨The Ghost¨ commanded by captain Wolf Larsen(extraordinary Edward G Robinson), a tough man with a meglomaniacal ego and a gaze piercing. Larsen is a cruel sailor but also is thoughtful and clever reader of Darwin,Shakesphere, Nietzsche and Milton (Lost time). They're forced into working and suffering humiliation and punishments .They become accidental passengers confronting wits and facing off cruel sailors, such as a brutal cooker.

This interesting movie packs noisy drama, ships adventure, and stunning performances. Intelligent character studio and stunningly playing the tale. Edward G Robinson is excellent as the maniacal captain obsessed to track down his brother. Alexander Knox is magnificent as his nemesis. Special mention to Gene Lockhart as the good but drunk medic, John Garfield as the sailor who tries to rally his shipmates into resisting against malevolent captain and Barry Fitzgerald as the nasty informer cooker. Shot completely in studio with abundant fog and scale models though looks filmed in exteriors. The motion picture is well directed by Michael Curtiz(1888-1962).He's a Hungarian-born became one of the most reliable and the finest directors of Hollywood's golden years who extracted performances from his stars that have left some of the most indelible impressions on our minds such as Edward G Robinson ,and directed several classic films : Casablanca, Captain Blood, Robin Hood, The charge of thee Light Brigade, among them. Another adaptation about the Jack London novel are the following, with various titles, as ¨Barricade¨, version (1958)with Barry Sullivan, Italian rendition(1975) with Chuck Connors and Barbara Bach, ¨Wolf Larsen¨ with Stacy Keach and for TV with Charles Bronson as Larsen and Chistopher Reeve as Van Weiden and directed by Michael Anderson. The motion picture will like to seafaring adventure genre buffs and Edward G Robinson fans.

***SOME SPOILERS*** Getting together a crew of shanghaied drunks criminals on the lamb from the law and survivors of maritime disasters the "Sea Wolf" Capt. "Wolf" Larson, Edward G. Robinson, is off on his sailing boat the dreaded "Ghost" sailing into the foggy North Pacific hunting for seal skins.

Things aren't going too well on "The Ghost" not just because of Capt. Larson's brutal and sadistic treatment of his crew but his real plans in going to sea. He's a criminal, like most of his crew, himself a 20th century pirate attacking and looting other ships of their cargo and hiding out in some deserted Pacific island until the heats off from those, like his brother, looking for and tying to kill him.

Always coming back short handed from his voyages, because of his ship's high mortality rate, Larson has his paid hood kidnaps and shanghai a new bunch of crew members for his next excursion out to sea.

Young George Leach, John Garfield, is more then happy to join Larson's crew since he's, like many of the deck-hands on board, wanted by the police and feels he at least has a better chance to survive on "The Ghost" then he does in a place like San Quentin. "The Sea Wolf" has two survivors of a ship wreck picked up by "The Ghost" woman prison escapee Ruth Brewster, Ida Lupino, and writer Humphrey Van Weydenm, Alxander Knox: the two, together with Leach, have a pivotal role in bringing the best and worst out of Capt. Larson.

Larson turns out to be a closet intellectual who masked that non-manly, in his mind, disability with his mindless sadism and brutality. Treating his crew like dogs or worse and even driving poor and sensitive Dr. Louis J. Presscott, Gene Lockard, to suicide after he finally sobered up and saved Ruth's life, with a blood-transfusion, has many of the crew members so sick and disgusted with Larson that they plan a mutiny. Even with his stool pigeon Cooky, Barry Fitzgerald, keeping him informed about the coming revolt Larson is still taken by surprise and thrown overboard by Leach & Co. only to resurface, from the ocean floor, and re-take control of "The Ghost".

You wonder what kind of strange power Larson has by not only serving a brutal beating and being throw out at sea but coming back, like a ghost, and having the entire crew of his sailing boat, who hate him with a passion, just fall into line and allow themselves to be again brutalized by him?

Larson being such a good sport doesn't have any of the crew members, who worked him over and tried to do him in, walk the plank like you wound have thought that he would, Instead Larson reveals to the crew who the stoolie on board is, Cooky. That poor drunkard slob of a man, Cooky the stole pigeon, is chased all over the boat and ends up becoming shark-bait by the outraged crewmen as Larson gleefully watches; this is how Larson repays those who stick out their necks for him!

With the ship about to explode because of Larson's treatment of the crew and him going blind because of a brain tumor Leach Ruth Weyden & Johnson, Stanley Ridge, make their escape on a lifeboat. It's there that they find out that Larson tricked them by substituting the water barrel with a vinegar one that lead to a shocked Johnson jumping overboard and killing himself. Getting back to "The Ghost" the escapees find that there was a revolt on board while they were away with everyone,but the now crazed and blind,Larson dead.

Larson has his eyes opened,figuratively, by Weyden who was secretly writing Larson's life story, as a layman's insight to his weird and maniacal insanity, and not liking what he heres about himself. The now blind and crazy Larson shoots Weyden only to have him trick him into thinking that he missed. This final failure in life, he always thought of himself as a Superman, has Larson meekly give the key to the storage room to Ruth who lets Leach, who was accidentally locked inside, out and save him from drowning together with that lunatic Larson and dead Weyden as "The Ghost" goes to it's final resting place in the bottom of the dark and foggy Pacific Ocean.

Loosely based on the novel by Jack London and directed by Michael Curtiz, "The Sea Wolf" is the story of a dreadful man named Wolf Larsen (Edward G. Robinson), the cruel, sadistic ship's captain of the Ghost. When a ferry carrying a writer, van Weyden (Alexander Knox) and a convict George Leach (John Garfield) sinks, they are taken aboard the Ghost. Later Maud (Ida Lupino) is rescued as well. The captain is a total lunatic who enjoys physically, verbally and emotionally abusing his crew and passengers, including Cooky (Barry Fitzgerald) and Doc (Gene Lockhart). Larsen has one Achilles heel - he gets horrific headaches (probably from a brain tumor). During one of his attacks, Maud, Leach and van Weyden escape, which eventually leads to the film's suspenseful finale.

This movie has Warner Brothers written all over it - if you knew nothing about it, you'd know which studio it came from. Filmed in black and white, it's heavy with fog and a dark, foreboding atmosphere that permeate the entire movie. Robinson is terrific and hateful as Wolf - for a little guy, he could sure pack a wallop. Leach proves an excellent role for Garfield - he's pugnacious, clever, and tender. Lupino's Maud is wonderful - she's a very sympathetic character and well fleshed out by Lupino, who is beautifully photographed. She and Garfield made a great couple - obviously Warners noticed it, too, because they worked together again. Other standouts are Gene Lockhart as the pathetic alcoholic ship's doctor, and Barry Fitzgerald as the wormy Cooky.

Though Alexander Knox had a career that spanned 50 years, he did not spend much of it as a Hollywood leading man. There's not much of a typical movie star about him, and he wasn't quirky enough, say, like Orson Welles, to really make his own mark. Nevertheless, his van Weyden is excellent, dignified and sophisticated in the face of all the treachery around him. He also plays off of Robinson well.

A big hit when released, and a great example of Warners at its best, "The Sea Wolf" is a film to seek out.

Intensely atmospheric and well-crafted adaptation of Jack London's famous novel featuring a strong cast starring Edward G. Robinson in one of his greatest roles, wonderful black-and-white photography and an absorbing and fast-moving (though maybe a bit too condensed) storyline.

Some narrative weaknesses here and there - what about Larsen's brother? - and some hasty character development prevent this solid movie from being a minor Warner classic.

Still the best version of London's story as far as I know and miles ahead of Raimund Harmstorf's potato crushing.

7 out of 10 foggy days at sea

The Sea Wolf is typical of Hollywood movies of the time in that it is radically different from the book. In the novel, Wolf Larsen was a large, muscular, strikingly attractive man. In the movie, he is played by Edward G. Robinson (as I think about it, I realize that all the famous thugs of the 30s and 40s were played by short men; if you were tall and muscular, you played heroes). The book details a soft, well- born writer changed forever by the hard life of the Sea Wolf; in the movie, he is a secondary character, with Jack Garfield's tough good guy given prominence. The girl is changed from another well-born writer to another tough with a past. The story itself is almost entirely different.

Only Barry Fitzgerald, in an atypically sleazy performance, reflects the intentions of the author. He was excellent.

None of these changes make The Sea Wolf a bad movie. Hollywood often took a few basic ideas and spun something very different out of them to great effect. The problem with this movie is it's just not very interesting. The Hollywoodization has made it trite and conventional, but as conventional movies go, this one is too talky and loosely formed. I didn't care about the characters nor did I care about the thin story.

Jack London's novel "The Sea Wolf" is one of those old chestnuts that seemingly won't go away. It has served as an subject for movies almost since they began being made, including Italian and Russian versions. This 1941 Warner version remains the definitive screen adaptation, however, in spite of numerous alterations to the plot of the original novel.

In the book, Wolf Larson is a giant Norwegian sea captain who rules his ship by virtue of his strength and brutality. He is the embodiment of the old joke which runs: "Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I shall fear no evil, because I am the meanest, toughest son of a b--- in the valley!" One would ordinarily think that the five foot six inches tall Edward G. Robinson would be a poor choice to play such a character. However, Robinson is a good enough actor, and a forceful enough screen personality, to carry it off.

John Garfield is equally perfect as a chip-on-the-shoulder working class seaman who dares to oppose Larson. He's a perfect foil for Robinson, and it's great fun watching the two of them snarl at each other like a couple of wild dogs.

Ida Lupino and Alexander Knox do some of their best work as the two castaways rescued by Larson's vessel. Lupino plays a female ex-convict trying to conceal her past, and Knox is an effete writer whom Larson decides to educate in what he considers the ways of the real world.

Gene Lockhart and Barry Fitzgerald are equally good in supporting roles as the ship's drunken and degraded doctor, and the thoroughly corrupt cook. It is particularly refreshing to see Fitzgerald play a really unpleasant character for a change, and one can only wonder why he didn't get more parts like this. In The Sea Wolf, Fitzgerald plays an individual so slimy that one almost expects to see him leave a trail behind him, like a slug.

Director Michael Curtiz managed to impart a dank and foggy atmosphere to The Sea Wolf that seems to suit the story perfectly, and that feeling is enhanced by Erich Korngold's moody score. The first view of the schooner "Ghost", looming out of the fog like a real ghost, is particularly memorable.

Granted, the ending differs radically from that of the book. This film's ending seems rather more satisfying than London's was, however. London was virtually forced to end the novel the way he did because it is presented in narrative form and the writer, Van Wyden, is the one actually telling the story. Warner Brothers could change the ending because, as a movie, the story was no longer restricted to Van Wyden's point of view.

The Sea Wolf ca be considered as one of the greatest ship films in history. The story is about a writer and criminal who meet up on a ferry. The ferry suddenly sinks and they are rescued by a passing ship, unlucky they are taken on to the ship from hell. Run by a crazy captain, probably one of the greatest villains of all time. The captain is played by the mesmerizing Edward G. Robinsin.

His battling force on the ship would be the young and robust sailor played by John Garfield who gives his greatest performance. Everyone eventually starts to turn on the captain after a tragic death that he caused. The story feature incredible fantastic characters and flawless directing. Other than moments of dreary writing this is a movie to be cherished. With haunting scenes and some delicious excitement you won't be able to turn your head away for a second.By all means see it!

This movie stands on it's own merits. It is a striking and strong movie about a brutish sea captain and the barbaric life aboard his vessel. The acting is very well done and it is well cast. Edward G. Robinson does a wonderful job as the captain, and Alexander Knox well portrays a man who has lived a soft life thrown into a harsh new world.

However, having first read the novel by Jack London, I was disappointed in the deviation of the story line. There are small differences at the beginning that continue to get larger until the end of the movie is dramatically difference than the end of the book.

If you can put the book out of your mind, or if you haven't read it, the movie is greatly enjoyable. Regrets to Jack London.

Am I the only one who prefers EddieGRob when he DOESN'T play gun-toting mobsters? My favorites are DOUBLE INDEMNITY, Dr. ERLICH'S MAGIC BULLET, and this one. Here's he's a villain, quite a bit tougher than Rico or Johnny Rocco, and his weapons are not guns, but his own hands and his enemies' weaknesses. And, unlike in most of his villain-roles, in this one he expresses real vulnerability. He actually makes me feel sorry for the dirty, sadistic bastard he plays.

Besides him, Ida Lupino, Barry Fitzgerald, and John Garfield play extremely well. And do not overlook the music by the great post-Wagnerian composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold, who ought to be much better-known than he is. Really if there were a concert consisting just of the soundtrack to this movie, it would be well worth the price of admission.

Weaknesses of this movie include wooden acting by the protagonist (Alexander Knox) and by Gene Lockhart (whose role, to be fair, is very badly-written).

I cannot in any way compare this to Jack London's novel, as I have never read it and would sooner eat glass than read another of his tales (after all, I've read "Heart of Darkness" and this is more than any person should have to read). However, it was a strange and dandy movie--and a wonderful showcase for Edward G. Robinson.

The story begins ashore. While people are out trying to shanghai a crew for an accursed ship, John Garfield's character actually voluntarily goes--after slugging the guy trying to slip him a mickey. However, despite his presence throughout the film, he isn't the star or even co-star of the film despite the billing. The film is first and foremost Robinson's, as he plays a delightfully sadistic man who, like the story he adores ("Paradise Lost") would rather be boss on his horrible ship than serve anywhere else. Alexander Knox, while not a household name, is on hand as the co-star--an intellectual man who is forced to stay aboard and become the father-confessor, so to speak, for the sadistic Robinson. Somehow, despite being an evil and unrepentant man, Robinson NEEDS Knox to understand and somehow connect with him. It's a wonderfully bizarre character study--not just of Robinson, but others among the crew--most notably the amazingly vile and treacherous man played by the usually sweet Barry Fitzgerald.

Overall, it's a fascinating old film that excels because it emphasizes characters and characterizations instead of the actual story--and gave the actors a wonderful chance to show their skills. Well worth seeing.

John Garfield (George Leach) volunteers to work on a ship called the "Ghost" in order to flee the police who are searching for him. Ida Lupino (Ruth) is also fleeing the authorities on a passenger ferry and has just been handed over to detectives by sophisticated, nancy-boy writer Alexander Knox (Van Weyden) when the ferry is rammed and sunk. Lupino and Knox survive as the ferry sinks and they are picked up by the ship that rammed them - the "Ghost" - captained by Edward G Robinson (Wolf Larsen). Robinson has no intention of putting them ashore and they join his crew on his pirate ship - the purpose of Robinson's journeys are to steal cargoes from other ships and skulk around in the foggy waters avoiding detection. Robinson is sadistic and Garfield has a plan to make a break for freedom.....

The story is a familiar one of cruelty at sea and mutiny and Edward G Robinson puts in a performance that is the equal of Charles Laughton in "Mutiny On The Bounty" (1935) and Howard Da Silva in "Two Years Before The Mast" (1946) as the sea captain bully. This is his film and he commands it as he does his crew. Garfield and Knox have important roles - Garfield as the angry man who rebels and Knox who becomes Robinson's confidante and holds the key to the film's denouement - but Lupino, while good in her role, does not have much to do. I'm not really sure why she's in the film as the love interest just isn't necessary. Garfield and Lupino may look good as a couple but their romance also does not convince at times, especially when Garfield is soooooo cold towards her yet she comes back for more from him. I don't think so!

The story has many different sequences to it and the pace rolls along nicely. The atmosphere of the film also deserves a mention with the aptly named "Ghost" disappearing in and out of fog banks. The first time we see the ship is memorable as it sinks the passenger ferry at the beginning. There are other memorable scenes including Gene Lockhart's (Dr Prescott) appearance one day dressed in his finest clothing after re-gaining his confidence - you will end up feeling very sorry for him - but, in the ensuing scenes, he does what he believes to be the best thing for a man who still has some dignity.

A final mention must go to Edward G Robinson, who, on occasion, manages to convince the audience that he has a human side to his character. I found it slightly out of character that he would take Knox's psycho-babble to heart as he does but then again, the guy is a psycho so who knows. It's interesting that Robinson is a secret intellectual and given his background, he's actually done very well for himself if you ask me. Maybe I'll see him in hell one day.

Overall, it's an entertaining film that's worth keeping onto.

This movie grabbed my attention from the start, especially, being a Jack London novel. Edward G. Robinson is a phenomonal actor. He along with Gene Lockhart, deliver strong performances. The rest of the cast is lacking however.The characterization is terrible for most parts, especially the love interests. Towards the end it is tidious and boring, until the final scene. Some decent cinemetography for the year, and kudos for attempting this movie in a very dark manner. It somehow manages, however, to be entertaining. But, it is obvious much is left out, which leaves you unsatisfied...ie....Wolf's brother (or his absence). Watch it anyway to see what you think.