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The Long Voyage Home

Play trailer Poster for The Long Voyage Home 1940 1h 44m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 13 Reviews 70% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
In the early days of World War II, the crew of English cargo ship the SS Glencairn -- including Swede Olsen (John Wayne), Englishman Smitty (Ian Hunter), American Yank (Ward Bond), and Irishmen Driscoll (Thomas Mitchell) and Cocky (Barry Fitzgerald) -- is sailing from the West Indies to Baltimore. Upon their arrival, their new cargo -- a load of dynamite -- puts the men ill at ease, as does the chance that there may be a Nazi spy on board and the general loneliness of seafaring.
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The Long Voyage Home

Critics Reviews

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Derek Smith Slant Magazine Jul 11, 2023
Adapted by Dudley Nichols from four of Eugene O’Neill’s one-act plays, the film is deeply concerned with the threshold between land and sea. Go to Full Review Pauline Kael The New Yorker Oct 8, 2015
One of the finest of all the movies that deal with life at sea, and one of the most successful of all attempts to put Eugene O'Neill on film ... Go to Full Review Sean Burns Crooked Marquee Jan 8, 2023
An achingly beautiful movie. Go to Full Review Marion Aitchison Tampa Bay Times Jan 13, 2021
The picture is splendidly directed and boasts some unusual photography. The cast is a fine one with Thomas Mitchell, John Wayne, John Qualen and Ian Hunter giving especially impressive performances. Go to Full Review John Kinloch California Eagle Oct 31, 2019
Performances are uniformly excellent, Mitchell topping everything he has ever done in motion-pictures. Ian Hunter and John Wayne are brilliant. Go to Full Review Austin Kennedy Film Geek Central Apr 14, 2013
3/4
It's not the most focused and sustained movie, but the solid acting and elegant direction elevate this to another level. What could have been a routine melodrama ends up being quite a classy production. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Bob H @RT17518208 Nov 26, 2025 Excellent depiction of the difficulties faced by the brave merchant mariners on their unarmed ships in the early days of ww2 See more Lynn G @RT43166931 Jul 16, 2024 The B&W photography of Greg Toland & his depth of field photography add to John Fords direction, bringing out great performances of the "Ford" cast of seasoned actors including Thomas Mitchell & one of John Wayne's non western leading roles. See more ed m @RT80499164 May 29, 2023 Early John Ford. Interesting, but not his best. Fabulous cast. See more steve d @RT35616104 Jul 22, 2020 It felt even longer... See more Feb 28, 2020 God help me...another six attempts trying to get through another film of a Eugene O’Neil work. I can’t do it. Guaranteed to put you to sleep in 30 minutes. Even the great John Ford couldn’t make this remotely interesting. See more Oct 14, 2018 Not terribly interesting by todays standards See more Read all reviews
The Long Voyage Home

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Cast & Crew

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John Ford

Director

John Wayne

Olsen

Thomas Mitchell

Driscoll

Ian Hunter

Smitty

Ward Bond

Yank

Barry Fitzgerald

Cocky

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The Long Voyage Home

The Long Voyage Home (1940) The Long Voyage Home (1940) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis In the early days of World War II, the crew of English cargo ship the SS Glencairn -- including Swede Olsen (John Wayne), Englishman Smitty (Ian Hunter), American Yank (Ward Bond), and Irishmen Driscoll (Thomas Mitchell) and Cocky (Barry Fitzgerald) -- is sailing from the West Indies to Baltimore. Upon their arrival, their new cargo -- a load of dynamite -- puts the men ill at ease, as does the chance that there may be a Nazi spy on board and the general loneliness of seafaring.
Director
John Ford
Producer
John Ford, Walter Wanger
Screenwriter
Dudley Nichols
Distributor
United Artists
Production Co
Argosy Pictures, Walter Wanger Productions, Inc.
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 11, 1940, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 15, 2020
Runtime
1h 44m
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