''Atlantic Ferry'' (alternate U.S. title: ''Sons of the Sea'') is a 1941 British film directed by

Walter Forde Walter Forde (born Thomas Seymour Woolford, 21 April 1898 – 7 January 1984) was a British actor, screenwriter and Film director, director. Born in Lambeth, south London in 1898, he directed over fifty films between 1919 from the silent era ...

and starring

Michael Redgrave Sir Michael Scudamore Redgrave CBE (20 March 1908 – 21 March 1985) was an English stage and film actor, director, manager and author. He received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''Mourning Becomes Elect ...

and

Valerie Hobson Babette Louisa Valerie Hobson (14 April 1917 – 13 November 1998) was a British actress whose film career spanned the 1930s to the early 1950s. Her second husband was John Profumo, a British government minister who became the subject of the Pro ...

. It was made at

Teddington Studios Teddington Studios was a large British television studio in Teddington, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, providing studio facilities for programmes airing on the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky1 and others. The complex also provide ...

Plot

In 1837 Liverpool, brothers Charles and David MacIver have great faith in steam-powered ships. Their first attempt, the coastal freighter ''Gigantic'', proves to be an embarrassing and costly failure, sinking immediately after being launched. David becomes discouraged and, to save their failing shipping firm, agrees to a merger proposed by longtime rival George Burns. Charles, however, is undaunted, despite being turned down by every banker when he seeks new funding. He gives his share of the family firm to David and sets out on his own. He teams up with American

Samuel Cunard Sir Samuel Cunard, 1st Baronet (21 November 1787 – 28 April 1865), was a British-Canadian shipping magnate, born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, who founded the Cunard Line, establishing the first scheduled steamship connection with North America. H ...

and engineer Robert Napier, and they build the RMS ''Britannia''. They win a British mail contract and make the first steamship crossing of the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

, from Liverpool to

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, in record time, despite a storm that threatens to sink the ship. Romantic complications ensue when both brothers fall in love with Mary Ann Morison, the daughter of an important government shipping official. She agrees to marry David (before she becomes acquainted with his brother), but it is Charles who wins her heart.

Cast

Reception

The film received neutral-to-negative reviews. According to Warner Bros. records, it earned $87,000 domestically and $16,000 foreign.The William Shaefer Ledger, Appendix 1, ''Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television'', (1995) 15:sup1, 1–31 p. 22 DOI: 10.1080/01439689508604551

References

External links

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Film stills
from ''Picture Show Annual'' {{Walter Forde 1941 films 1941 romantic drama films 1940s English-language films British black-and-white films British romantic drama films Films directed by Walter Forde Films scored by Jack Beaver Films set in Liverpool Films set in the 1830s Films set in the Atlantic Ocean Seafaring films Warner Bros. films 1940s British films