''Ghost Ship'' is a 1952 British horror

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...

directed by

Vernon Sewell Vernon Campbell Sewell (4 July 1903 – 21 June 2001) was a British film director, writer, producer and, briefly, an actor. Sewell was born in London, England, and was educated at Marlborough College. He directed more than 30 films during his c ...

and starring Dermot Walsh and

Hazel Court Hazel Court (10 February 1926 – 15 April 2008) was an English actress. She is known for her roles in British and American horror films during the 1950s and early 1960s, including Terence Fisher's ''The Curse of Frankenstein'' (1957) and ...

. It was written by Vernon Sewell and Philip Thornton. This was one of four attempts by Vernon Sewell to adapt and film an obscure Pierre Mills and Celia de Vilyars

Grand Guignol ''Le Théâtre du Grand-Guignol'' (: "The Theatre of the Great Puppet")—known as the Grand Guignol–was a theatre in the Pigalle district of Paris (7, cité Chaptal). From its opening in 1897 until its closing in 1962, it specialised in natura ...

stage play, called '' L'Angoisse''. It was shot at

Merton Park Studios Merton Park Studios, opened in 1929, was a British film production studio located at Long Lodge, 269 Kingston Road in Merton Park, South London. In the 1940s, it was owned by Piprodia Entertainment, Nikhanj Films and Film Producers Guild. Peter M ...

as a

second feature A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double featur ...

. The 2002 film of the same title is completely unrelated and not considered a remake.

Plot

Guy and Margret, a newly-wed couple, meet a broker in the hopes of buying the steam yacht ''Cyclops'' to fix it up as a floating home. Before they make the purchase the Yard Manager tells them about the ship's previous owners. He explains that after the war the yacht was bought by Professor Martineau, an atomic scientist who installed a number of gadgets including automatic gyro steering. Martineau, his wife, and their engineer and friend Peter, set sail on a pleasant day for Doville, however they never arrived. After being unable to contact the ''Cyclops'' an enquiry assumed they struck a mine and were lost at sea. A month later three fishermen discover the ''Cyclops'' devoid of crew and off course. Another enquiry is held and discovers that the ship must have been abandoned at least three days, the machinery and equipment was in perfect working order, no attempt had been made to contact another ship, and that one of the lifebuoys was missing, however they are unsure if the automatic steering was engaged. A body is found washed up on the beach, however Martineau's housekeeper explains it cannot be him as it doesn't have the burn scar Martineau received on his arm as a student. The enquiry concludes assuming two of those onboard must have drowned trying to save the third. The Yard Manager tells Guy and Margret that the ''Cyclops'' has since changed hands many times but has never found a long-term owner. He also tells them that he believes the ship is haunted as he had mysteriously smelt cigar smoke, however Guy believes the Yard master is reluctant to sell as he uses the ship for smuggling. Guy and Margret buy the ''Cyclops'' after being told that it is in great shape and working perfectly and move it to a

dry dock A dry dock (sometimes drydock or dry-dock) is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform. Dry docks are used for the construction, maintenance, ...

for overhaul and repainting. Unable to find a local deckhand, Guy reluctantly hires Mansel, who also doesn't believe the yacht is haunted and has been rather poorly looking after the ''Cyclops'' for years. Guy and Margret host a house-warming party onboard to celebrate their first successful trip out on the ''Cyclops'', where a guest tells Guy he smells a Havana cigar despite none being present. That night the engineer hired to run the boat quits after claiming that his wife has become ill, however later the Yard Manager tells Guy that he doesn't believe the engineer had a wife at all and that a rumour is spreading that he left after seeing a ghost. Guy hires a new engineer but Margret complains that he smokes cigars in their quarters as she can smell the smoke. When Guy goes to confront the engineer he quits, claiming to have seen a ghost on board as well. Margret receives a call from the bridge but hears only breathing, and discovers that Guy is only next door and Mansel has the evening off. When Guy and Margret investigate they find the bridge empty, however Margret smells cigar smoke again and faints. A worried Margret begins to believe something supernatural is happening, however Guy still believes someone is trying to trick them into abandoning the ''Cyclops''. Later, while working in the engine room, Guy sees a man smoking a cigar who disappears when Guy challenges him. Debating whether to sell the ''Cyclops'' or not, Margret contacts the Institute for Investigation of Psychic Phenomena (IIPP) to hire a paranormal investigator. Dr. Fawcett arrives and feels a strong psychic influence onboard the ''Cyclops'' after also smelling cigar smoke, although Guy still remains sceptical. Dr. Fawcett invites his medium Mrs. Manley onboard to host a

séance A séance or seance (; ) is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word ''séance'' comes from the French word for "session", from the Old French ''seoir'', "to sit". In French, the word's meaning is quite general: one may, for example, spe ...

where she contacts the spirits onboard. The group discover that Martineau's wife and Peter were having an affair and planned to kill Martineau and push him overboard. As Mrs. Martineau and Peter make their plan however, Martineau is able to hear them after breaking the phone on the bridge. Martineau confronts his wife and Peter and shoots them before hiding their bodies in a disused water tank under the floor boards, taking some money, changing the ship's course, and jumping overboard with one of the lifebuoys. Guy and Dr Fawcett find the water tank to confirm the story but before they can call the police, Mansel commits suicide on deck. After seeing a burn scar on Mansel's arm Guy realises that he is Professor Martineau. Dr Fawcett tells a still doubtful Guy that with Martineau dead the haunting should stop. Happy, Guy and Margret set sail on the ''Cyclops'' again.

Cast

* Dermot Walsh as Guy Thornton *

as Margaret Thornton *

Hugh Burden Hugh Archibald Nairn Burden''The Daily Telegraph'', 25 July 1962 (3 April 1913 – 16 May 1985) was a British actor and playwright. Hugh Archibald Nairn Burden was the eldest son of Harry Archibald Burden, a colonial official, and Caro Cecil n ...

as Dr. Fawcett * John Robinson as Prof. Mansel Martineau *

Hugh Latimer Hugh Latimer ( – 16 October 1555) was a Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge, and Bishop of Worcester during the Reformation, and later Church of England chaplain to King Edward VI. In 1555 under the Catholic Queen Mary I he was burned at the s ...

as Peter * Joan Carol as Mrs. Martineau *

Joss Ambler Joss Ambler (23 June 1900 – 1959) was an Australian-born British film and television actor. He usually played somewhat pompous and irascible figures of authority, particularly in comedy films. He was an effective foil to George Formby in both ...

as Yard Manager *

Mignon O'Doherty Mignon O'Doherty (1890 – 1961) was an Australian actress who worked in British theatre, film and television. O'Doherty was born in Brisbane, the daughter of Dr. Edward O’Doherty and Isabel Maud French. She was the granddaughter of Young Ir ...

as Mrs. Manley *

Laidman Browne Laidman Browne (13 September 1896 - 11 September 1961) was an English radio and television actor. In 1949 he was the narrator of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes story "The Adventure of the Speckled Band "The Adventure of the Speckled Ba ...

as Coroner * Meadows White as Mr. Leech, Yard Surveyor * Pat McGrath as Bert, 1st Fisherman *

Joss Ackland Sidney Edmond Jocelyn Ackland CBE (born 29 February 1928) is an English retired actor who has appeared in more than 130 film and television roles. He was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for portraying Jock Del ...

as Ron, 2nd Fisherman * John King-Kelly as Sid 3rd Fisherman (as John King Kelly) * Colin Douglas as 1st Engineer * Jack Stewart as 2nd Engineer * Anthony Marlowe as Thomas Selter (Lloyd's Surveyor) *

Geoffrey Dunn Geoffrey Dunn is an American author, film producer, film director, screenwriter, and investigative journalist. His films include ''Calypso Dreams'', ''Miss…or Myth?'', ''Dollar a Day, 10¢ a Dance'' and his books include, ''The Lies of Sarah ...

as Strange Passenger *

Ian Carmichael Ian Gillett Carmichael, OBE (18 June 1920 – 5 February 2010) was an English actor who worked prolifically on stage, screen and radio in a career spanning 70 years. He found prominence in the films of the Boulting brothers, including ' ...

as Bernard * Anthony Hayes as Pianist * Barry Phelps as Stewardn * Robert Moore as Police Inspector *

Ewen Solon Peter Ewen Solon (7 September 1917 – 7 July 1985) was a New Zealand-born actor, who worked extensively in both the United Kingdom and Australia. At the outbreak of World War II, Solon became a member of the First Echelon, 2nd NZEF that sa ...

as Plain Clothes Man * Jock Finlay as Policeman *

Madoline Thomas Madoline Thomas (born Madoline Mary Price; 2 January 1890 – 30 December 1989) was a Welsh character actress whose career, beginning in midlife, encompassed stage, film and television roles. Early life Madoline Mary Price was born in Abergave ...

as Mrs. Morgan, Housekeeper * Graham Stuart as 1st Guest * Gordon Bell as 2nd Guest *

Patricia Owens Patricia Molly Owens (January 17, 1925 – August 31, 2000) was a Canadian-born American actress, working in Hollywood. She appeared in about 40 films and 10 television episodes in a career lasting from 1943 to 1968. Early work Owens moved ...

as Joyce - Party Girl *

Melissa Stribling Melissa Stribling (7 November 1926 – 22 March 1992) was a Scottish film and television actress, who began her acting career as part of a professional group who presented a different stage play each week at the Croydon 'Grand' theatre. She is ...

as Vera - Party Girl

Production

The film received partial funding from

Anglo-Amalgamated Anglo-Amalgamated Productions was a British film production company, run by Nat Cohen and Stuart Levy, which operated from 1945 until roughly 1971 (after which it was absorbed into EMI Films). Low-budget and second features, often produced at M ...

. It starred the real life husband and wife team of Dermot Walsh and Hazel Court. Most filming took place in

with exteriors shot on the director's own yacht, ''Gelert'' in the English Channel.John Hamilton, ''The British Independent Horror Film 1951-70'' Hemlock Books 2013 p 21-23 The film features Ian Carmichael, briefly, as a drunken guest, in an early film role. It includes some limited shots of Shoreham Harbour canal, Southwick Town Hall, and Lady Bee Marina.

Critical reception

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...

called the film a "talky but fairly atmospheric effort...hampered by its low budget."

References

* AMG. (n.d.). Ghost Ship, Cast Information. Retrieved 28 November 2010, from Fandango: www.fandango.com/ghostship_v19646/cast * Adams, L. (n.d.). Ghost Ship (1952). Retrieved 28 November 2010, from IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044656/

External links