Lifeboat (film)

Lifeboat
original film poster
Directed by	Alfred Hitchcock
Produced by	Kenneth Macgowan
Written by	Novella: John Steinbeck Screenplay: Jo Swerling Uncredited (screenplay): Ben Hecht
Starring	Tallulah Bankhead William Bendix Walter Slezak Mary Anderson John Hodiak Henry Hull Heather Angel Hume Cronyn
Music by	Hugo W. Friedhofer
Cinematography	Glen MacWilliams
Editing by	Dorothy Spencer
Distributed by	20th Century Fox
Release date(s)	January 11, 1944
Running time	96 min.
Language	English
Budget	$1,590,000
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Lifeboat is a 1944 World War II war film, directed by Alfred Hitchcock from a story written by John Steinbeck. The film stars Tallulah Bankhead, William Bendix, Walter Slezak, Mary Anderson, John Hodiak, Henry Hull, Heather Angel, Hume Cronyn and Canada Lee, and is set entirely on a lifeboat. The film received Academy Award nominations for Best Director, Best Original Motion Picture Story and Best Black and White Cinematography.

The film holds the world record for smallest set ever used on a film. It has never been beaten. (The closest any other film has come was the 1948 novelty film Bill and Coo, which featured an all-bird cast and was filmed on a miniature village built onto a 15' x 30' {4.57m X 9.14m} tabletop, which was located inside a larger studio.)^{[citation needed]}

Plot summary

A group of American and British citizens are stuck in a lifeboat after their ship and a U-boat sink each other in combat. Willi (Walter Slezak), a German survivor, is allowed aboard (after some debate), but is later revealed to be the U-boat captain.

Kovac (John Hodiak) takes charge, rationing the little food and water they have, but as time goes on, Willi gradually takes control away from him. One morning, while the others are sleeping, the injured German-American Gus Smith (William Bendix) catches Willi drinking from a hidden water supply. Too weak to wake anybody up, Gus is pushed overboard to drown. However, when they notice that the Nazi is sweating, the other passengers realize that he must have been hoarding water, so they beat him up and throw him out off the boat.

Later, the survivors are spotted by the German supply ship Willi had been steering them to, but before it can pick them up, it is sunk by an American warship. A frightened young German seaman boards the lifeboat, brandishing a gun. After he is disarmed, one of the survivors asks, "What should we do with him?"

Critical reaction

According to Hitchcock's daughter, Patricia, in a 2005 DVD-released documentary, some critics, after initial rave reviews, gave the film poor reviews because of the so-called "positive" portrayal of the German character in the film. (Today, film reviewers think just the opposite. Critics call the film almost an American propaganda film.) Other film critics caught on to the critical damnation and many writers began giving the film poor reviews. 20th Century Fox executives, under pressure, decided to give the film a limited release instead of the wide release most of Hitchcock's films received. Advertising for the film was also reduced, causing the film to have a poor box office when released in 1944.

Today, the film is considered a classic. Film critic Dan Schneider wrote of the film's artistic success:

"...The film’s greatness comes in the way it realistically sketches human reactions and nature in extremis, even as it relies on some of the grossest human caricatures, stereotypes, and is a blatant bit of agitprop. That said, and given the limitations of having the film set totally in a boat, that Hitchcock comes even within spitting distance of the film being a great work of art (it’s not; it misses by a hair, for the flaws mentioned) is, itself, evidence of greatness at work. It is also one of the most brilliant and odd character studies on film."^[1]

Remake

In 1993, the movie was remade as a science fiction TV movie titled Lifepod. Moving the action from a lifeboat to a spaceship's escape capsule, the remake starred Ron Silver, Robert Loggia and CCH Pounder. Silver also directed.

Cameo

Alfred Hitchcock was known to make cameos in his films. He once commented to François Truffaut that this particular cameo was one of his most difficult to achieve, due to the lack of passers-by in the film. While having originally considered posing as a body floating past the Lifeboat, after his success in weight loss, Hitchcock decided to pose in Before & After photos for a weight loss drug, shown in a newspaper during the film.

References

External links

• Lifeboat at the Internet Movie Database
• DVD review of Lifeboat
• Lifeboat Eyegate Gallery

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