''Two Years Before the Mast'' is a 1946

adventure film An adventure film is a form of adventure fiction, and is a genre of film. Subgenres of adventure films include swashbuckler films, pirate films, and survival films. Adventure films may also be combined with other film genres such as action, an ...

based on

Richard Henry Dana Jr. Richard Henry Dana Jr. (August 1, 1815 – January 6, 1882) was an American lawyer and politician from Massachusetts, a descendant of a colonial family, who gained renown as the author of the classic American memoir ''Two Years Before the Mast''. ...

's travel book of the same name. It stars Alan Ladd,

Brian Donlevy Waldo Brian Donlevy (February 9, 1901 – April 6, 1972) was an American actor, noted for playing dangerous tough guys from the 1930s to the 1960s. He usually appeared in supporting roles. Among his best-known films are '' Beau Geste'' (19 ...

William Bendix William Bendix (January 14, 1906 – December 14, 1964) was an American film, radio, and television actor, who typically played rough, blue-collar characters. He is best remembered for his role in ''Wake Island'', which earned him an Academy ...

, and Barry Fitzgerald.

Plot summary

Brian-Donlevy-Esther-Fernandez-Alan-Ladd-Two-Years-Before-the-Mast

In 1834, Charles Stewart (Alan Ladd), the spoiled, dissolute son of a shipping magnate, is

shanghaied Shanghaied may refer to: *Shanghaiing, or forced conscription * ''Shanghaied'' (1915 film), a film starring Charlie Chaplin * ''Shanghaied'' (1927 film), a 1927 American silent film * ''Shanghaied'' (1934 film), an animated short film starring Mi ...

aboard the ''

Pilgrim A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) who is on Pilgrimage, a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journey (often on foot) to some place of special significance to the a ...

'', one of his father's own ships. He embarks upon a long, hellish sea voyage under the tyrannical rule of Captain Francis Thompson (Howard Da Silva), assisted by his first mate, Amazeen (William Bendix). One of his crewmates is

(Brian Donlevy), who will ultimately recount the entire voyage in a book.

Cast

* Alan Ladd as Charles Stewart *

as Richard Henry Dana *

as First Mate Amazeen * Barry Fitzgerald as Terence O'Feenaghty *

Howard Da Silva Howard Da Silva (born Howard Silverblatt, May 4, 1909 – February 16, 1986) was an American actor, director and musical performer on stage, film, television and radio. He was cast in dozens of productions on the New York stage, appeared in mo ...

as Captain Thompson *

Esther Fernández María Esther Fernández González (23 August 1915 – 21 October 1999) was a Mexican actress. Life and career Esther Fernández began her career as an extra in the film '' La Mujer del Puerto'' (1934). Her first starring role was in the early ho ...

as Maria Dominguez *

Albert Dekker Thomas Albert Ecke Van Dekker (December 20, 1905 – May 5, 1968) was an American character actor and politician best known for his roles in ''Dr. Cyclops'', ''The Killers'' (1946), ''Kiss Me Deadly'', and ''The Wild Bunch''. Early life and car ...

as Brown *

Luis van Rooten Luis d'Antin van Rooten (November 29, 1906 – June 17, 1973) was a Mexican-born American actor. He was sometimes credited as Louis Van Rooten. Van Rooten was born in Mexico City, Mexico, and emigrated to the United States with his parents when ...

as 2nd Mate Foster *

Darryl Hickman Darryl Gerard Hickman (born July 28, 1931) is an American former actor, screenwriter, television executive, and acting coach. He started his career as a child actor in the Golden Age of Hollywood and appeared in numerous TV serials as an adult. ...

as Sam Hooper *

Roman Bohnen Roman Aloys Bohnen (November 24, 1901 – February 24, 1949) was an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the films ''Of Mice and Men'' (1939), '' The Song of Bernadette'' (1943), and ''The Best Years of Our Lives'' (194 ...

as Macklin * Ray Collins as Gordon Stewart * Theodore Newton as Hayes *

Tom Powers Thomas McCreery Powers (July 7, 1890 – November 9, 1955) was an American actor in theatre, films, radio and television. A veteran of the Broadway stage, notably in plays by George Bernard Shaw, he created the role of Charles Marsden in Eug ...

as Bellamer * James Burke as Carrick *

Frank Faylen Frank Faylen (born Charles Francis Ruf, December 8, 1905 – August 2, 1985) was an American film and television actor. Largely a bit player and character actor, he occasionally played more fleshed-out supporting roles during his forty-two ...

as Hansen * unbilled players include

Dorothy Granger Dorothy Karolyn Granger (November 21, 1911 – January 4, 1995) was an American actress best known for her roles in short subject comedies in Hollywood. Career Granger, with her parents, two brothers, Richard and James, and their grandmot ...

Kitty Kelly Kitty Kelly (born Sue O'Neil; April 27, 1902 – June 29, 1968), was an American stage and film character actress. Biography Born in New York City in 1902, Kelly was best known as a member of the Ziegfeld Follies and her radio hosting with C ...

, Barry Macollum,

Cyril Ring Cyril Ring (December 5, 1892July 17, 1967) was an American film actor. He began his career in silent films in 1921. By the time of his final performance in 1951, he had appeared in over 350 films, nearly all of them in small and/or uncredited bit ...

and

Duncan Renaldo Renault Renaldo Duncan (April 23, 1904 – September 3, 1980), better known as Duncan Renaldo, was a Romanian-born American actor best remembered for his portrayal of The Cisco Kid in films and on the 1950–1956 American TV series ''The Cisco Ki ...

Production

Development

In 1936,

Republic Studios Republic Pictures Corporation (currently held under Melange Pictures, LLC) was an American motion picture production-distribution corporation in operation from 1935 to 1967, that was based in Los Angeles. It had studio facilities in Studio City an ...

announced plans to make a version of the film starring James Dunn and produced by Bert Clark. Actor

Lew Ayres Lewis Frederick Ayres III (December 28, 1908 – December 30, 1996) was an American actor whose film and television career spanned 65 years. He is best known for starring as German soldier Paul Bäumer in the film '' All Quiet on the Western Fr ...

was mentioned as a possible director and

Lionel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blythe; April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio as well as a film director. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''A Free Soul'' (1931) ...

, or, if he refused,

Walter Connolly Walter Connolly (April 8, 1887 – May 28, 1940) was an American character actor who appeared in almost 50 films between 1914 and 1939. His best known film is ''It Happened One Night'' (1934). Early years Connolly attended St. Xavier Coll ...

was going to star. The movie was meant to be an attempt by Republic to move into bigger budgeted productions. Negotiations with Barrymore, Connolly and

Fredric March Fredric March (born Ernest Frederick McIntyre Bickel; August 31, 1897 – April 14, 1975) was an American actor, regarded as one of Hollywood's most celebrated, versatile stars of the 1930s and 1940s.Obituary ''Variety'', April 16, 1975, p ...

fell through and the studio tried to sign

Henry Wilcoxon Harry Frederick Wilcoxon (8 September 1905 – 6 March 1984), known as Henry Wilcoxon, was an actor born in Roseau, Dominica, British West Indies, and who was a leading man in many of Cecil B. DeMille's films, also serving as DeMille's associ ...

. Republic never made the movie.

Edward Small Edward Small (born Edward Schmalheiser, February 1, 1891, Brooklyn, New York – January 25, 1977, Los Angeles) was a film producer from the late 1920s through 1970, who was enormously prolific over a 50-year career. He is best known for the movi ...

announced plans to film the book in 1939 under his deal with

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the studi ...

. However this was postponed when World War II was declared, as Small was reluctant to make such an expensive film in an uncertain marketplace. Plans to film the book were again announced in 1940 and 1941 but no movie resulted. Paramount eventually bought the rights off Small in 1943, including a script Seton I Miller had written for the producer in 1939; Miller had since become a writer and producer at Paramount. Alan Ladd was announced as star.

Pre-Production

In March 1944 it was announced Ladd would be re-inducted into the army but that this would be delayed so he could make ''Mast''. Brian Donlevy was originally going to play the sadistic captain but was given the role of Dana instead. Howard da Silva, who had just achieved fame playing Judd in ''Oklahoma!'' on Broadway, played the captain. Mexican film star

had been signed to Paramount for two years without making a film. John Farrow watched some test footage she made and was impressed; she was brought back to play the female lead. Due to war time restrictions – notably lack of transport – Paramount had endured many logistical difficulties filming the pirate movie '' Frenchman's Creek'' on location. This prompted them to decide to shoot ''Two Years Before the Mast'' entirely within the confines of the studio. Seascapes and soundscapes from Paramount's ''

Souls at Sea ''Souls at Sea'' is a 1937 American adventure film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Gary Cooper and George Raft. Based on a story by Ted Lesser, the film is about a first mate on a slave ship who frees the slaves on the ship after a mutiny ...

'' (1937) were re-used. The film heavily dramatised the novel but attempted to be faithful. "Dana's tale is so well known that we shall have to stay close to the line of his yarn", said John Farrow, "Especially in the characters." Extensive research was done on the project for six months prior to shooting.

Shooting

Filming began in May 1944 and took 69 days. "We could do it in less but we've got to allow stubble to grow", said Farrow. "Chins have got to grow over with gray plush. May cost a hundred thousand. Depends on how long it takes those chins to sprout. But meantime, we can be shooting storms and Miss Fernandez." Alan Ladd injured his back during filming and had to miss a week of shooting. The movie was shot on three studio sound stages. Four stage were combined into one, for the interiors. There was another stage holding the water tank. Two models of the ship were built at a total cost of $150,000. Paramount were so pleased with Da Silva's performance they signed him to a seven-year contract. Darryl Hickman, who played the cabin boy, also impressed and was signed to a long-term contract.

Release

The film was not released until late 1946, after the release of several films Ladd made subsequent to ''Mast'': ''

Salty O'Rourke ''Salty O'Rourke'' is a 1945 American drama film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Alan Ladd and Gail Russell. It was nominated for an Academy Award in 1946. Plot In New Orleans, racetrack gambler Salty O'Rourke is pursued by gangster Doc Ba ...

'', ''

The Blue Dahlia ''The Blue Dahlia'' is a 1946 American crime film and film noir with an original screenplay by Raymond Chandler''Variety'' film review; January 30, 1946, page 12.''Harrison's Reports'' film review; February 2, 1946, page 19. directed by George M ...

'' and '' O.S.S.''. This also meant that Barry Fitzgerald, who became a star in ''

Going My Way ''Going My Way'' is a 1944 American musical comedy drama film directed by Leo McCarey and starring Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald. Written by Frank Butler and Frank Cavett based on a story by McCarey, the film is about a new young priest ta ...

'' (1944) while the film was waiting for release, was upped to above the title billing.

Box office

''Two Years Before the Mast'' was one of the most popular films released in the US that year, ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' describing it as "a phenomenal hit". ''Variety'' listed it as the tenth most popular movie of 1946.

References

External links

* *
Review of film
at ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

''
Review of film
at ''Variety'' {{Edward Small Films directed by John Farrow 1946 films 1940s historical adventure films 1940s adventure drama films American adventure comedy films American historical romance films American black-and-white films Films scored by Victor Young Films based on American novels Films set in the 1830s Paramount Pictures films Seafaring films Films set in Boston Films based on diaries 1946 drama films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films