From the title you might think that this is a wartime thriller,but alas it is a whodunit,albeit that in place of the old haunted house the action takes place on a merchantman bound for a convoy. The Captain tricks the main suspects into coming aboard and then casts off when they are on the ship in order to find out who is the guilty party.A few red herrings are thrown in to put you off the trail.However the murderer finally reveals himself as the film uses one of the oldest tricks going.It is all fairly routine.There are lots of familiar faces popping up.Wally Patch plays a steward,Ronnie Shiner a cook,Felix Aylmer a crusty old director of the shipping line ,William (Billy)Hartnell as an engineer,and Hay Petrie as a talkative sailor.If you like whodunits you will probably enjoy this film.
3 Reviews
Serviceable enough
Leofwine_draca8 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This mystery thriller has a wartime backdrop and a sea setting, with a group of characters heading off to the middle of the ocean where the captain can single-handedly solve a murder case by interrogating them. They're a pretty dry and stodgy lot, it has to be said, although more fun comes from the comic relief pairing of Wally Patch and Ronald Shiner and the likes of Felix Aylmer and William Hartnell in support. Serviceable enough for fans of this period, although the story is hampered by the budget.
Special Cargo
richardchatten31 October 2020
As my predecessor malcomgsw observed, this is basically just a very talky thirties whodunnit lent topicality by relocating the usual suspects from the usual big country house to a big ship with an enemy saboteur on board.
Martita Hunt is her usual imperious self, while Jane Carr is fun as a floozy with an extremely dodgy cockney accent (at least I assume that's what the accent was supposed to be).
Martita Hunt is her usual imperious self, while Jane Carr is fun as a floozy with an extremely dodgy cockney accent (at least I assume that's what the accent was supposed to be).
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
