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Down to the Sea in Ships

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The aging Captain Bering Joy (Lionel Barrymore) hasn't lost a step, but the men who own the ship he sails want the old man to resign. Determined to prove them wrong, Bering goes on one last whaling mission, bringing along his young grandson, Jed (Dean Stockwell), as an apprentice. There, Jed befriends enterprising young sailor Dan Lunceford (Richard Widmark), who has been chosen to someday replace Bering. The old captain initially resents Dan, but a disaster at sea unites the feuding sailors.

Critics Reviews

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Elsa Branden Photoplay 08/20/2021
3/3
A whale of a picture. Go to Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com 03/21/2013
B-
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Audience Reviews

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Maureen P @Mambamoe214 Jan 19 What a great movie, haven’t seen such a good movie like this in long time. Dean Stockwell should have won an Academy Award, amazingly taken young actor. Lionel Barrymore was at his best, what else is new. They don’t make movies like this anymore. See more Michael L Aug 26 It's excellent in cast and message of what we used to be like as a Christian nation where character was important as education and the reality that life isn't easy See more Steve D 12/25/2023 Great cast bad story. See more 03/06/2016 Good story with a lot of attention to detail in production. Barrymore is excellent as the gruff and dutiful Shipmaster living on borrowed time due to health issues, but given the energy to carry on due to his love for his grandson and his desire to see him "become a man" and take his place at sea. The supporting cast is quite solid and with little evidence of the "ham" acting prevalent at the time. See more 11/04/2015 Solid high seas adventure, although it's more about the bonding of men from different generations, and it gets fairly emotive in places. See more 06/27/2013 2nd best movie about whaling behind Moby Dick (1955). Lionel Barrymore is as close to a real sea captain as I've seen. I still don't know how they made the Amazing Ice burg collision. See more Read all reviews
Down to the Sea in Ships

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Cast & Crew

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Henry Hathaway

Director

Richard Widmark

First Mate Dan Lunceford

Lionel Barrymore

Capt. Bering Joy

Dean Stockwell

Jed Joy
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Down to the Sea in Ships

Down to the Sea in Ships (1949) Down to the Sea in Ships (1949) Down to the Sea in Ships (1949) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis The aging Captain Bering Joy (Lionel Barrymore) hasn't lost a step, but the men who own the ship he sails want the old man to resign. Determined to prove them wrong, Bering goes on one last whaling mission, bringing along his young grandson, Jed (Dean Stockwell), as an apprentice. There, Jed befriends enterprising young sailor Dan Lunceford (Richard Widmark), who has been chosen to someday replace Bering. The old captain initially resents Dan, but a disaster at sea unites the feuding sailors.
Director
Henry Hathaway
Production Co
Twentieth Century Fox
Genre
Adventure
Original Language
English
Release Date (DVD)
Nov 27, 2012
Runtime
2h 0m