A varied group of passengers boarding a ship bound for pre-WWII Germany represents a microcosm of early-1930s society.A varied group of passengers boarding a ship bound for pre-WWII Germany represents a microcosm of early-1930s society.A varied group of passengers boarding a ship bound for pre-WWII Germany represents a microcosm of early-1930s society.
- Won 2 Oscars
- 5 wins & 13 nominations total
José Ferrer
- Siegfried Rieber
- (as Jose Ferrer)
José Greco
- Pepe
- (as Jose Greco)
Heinz Rühmann
- Julius Löwenthal
- (as Heinz Ruehmann)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaVivien Leigh was subject to bouts of depression and alcoholism and was abrasive to fellow actors. There was a rocky start to her relationship with Lee Marvin, complaining about his stale alcohol breath. Eventually, the two became highly unlikely good friends.
- GoofsAlthough set in 1933, the hairstyles and costumes are decidedly mid-1960s.
- ConnectionsEdited into Catalogue of Ships (2008)
Featured review
Weaker than the novel...but still absorbing...
A strange, rather offbeat morality tale from Katherine Anne Porter's bulky novel, SHIP OF FOOLS manages to hold interest even though the characters are never fully realized and the full potential of the novel isn't to be found in the screenplay.
It's best described as a multi-episode GRAND HOTEL at sea, episodic with the love story between Simone Signoret and Oskar Werner at the core and easily the best acted piece, despite the soap-opera overtones. Vivien Leigh's bitter American widow is somewhat theatrical--but comes to life finally in the scene where she uses her shoe to beat Lee Marvin when he makes drunken advances to her. She looks somewhat worn and fragile (which the role requires) and this was her last film only two years before her death.
Porter's novel made diabolic use of the twin children who are almost missing from the screenplay. George Segal and Elizabeth Ashley are wasted in lesser roles as young romantics. Michael Dunn is sly and altogether winning as the dwarf who opens and closes the film with his narrative. Charles Korvin is excellent as the ship's Captain who is constantly giving advice to Oskar Werner who stubbornly refuses to listen to his well meaning friend.
If the story interests you, try reading the novel--much more complex, much richer in characters and atmosphere. The film is overlong, has some dull stretches and has a meager score by Ernest Gold that is oddly silent during some of the most emotional moments. A good old-fashioned musical score by someone like Max Steiner would have helped immeasurably in getting over the dull spots.
Summing up: too preachy when dealing with anti-semitism and lacks the punch of the novel.
It's best described as a multi-episode GRAND HOTEL at sea, episodic with the love story between Simone Signoret and Oskar Werner at the core and easily the best acted piece, despite the soap-opera overtones. Vivien Leigh's bitter American widow is somewhat theatrical--but comes to life finally in the scene where she uses her shoe to beat Lee Marvin when he makes drunken advances to her. She looks somewhat worn and fragile (which the role requires) and this was her last film only two years before her death.
Porter's novel made diabolic use of the twin children who are almost missing from the screenplay. George Segal and Elizabeth Ashley are wasted in lesser roles as young romantics. Michael Dunn is sly and altogether winning as the dwarf who opens and closes the film with his narrative. Charles Korvin is excellent as the ship's Captain who is constantly giving advice to Oskar Werner who stubbornly refuses to listen to his well meaning friend.
If the story interests you, try reading the novel--much more complex, much richer in characters and atmosphere. The film is overlong, has some dull stretches and has a meager score by Ernest Gold that is oddly silent during some of the most emotional moments. A good old-fashioned musical score by someone like Max Steiner would have helped immeasurably in getting over the dull spots.
Summing up: too preachy when dealing with anti-semitism and lacks the punch of the novel.
helpful•117
- Doylenf
- Jul 27, 2003
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Details
Box office
- Budget
- $4,000,000 (estimated)
- Runtime2 hours 29 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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