Archive through May 26 2009

[ash briers]

hi, i don't know if it's already been mentioned, but has anyone seen "Munsters Go Home" (i think thats what it is). it is set on the United States and has a good many seconds or minutes of footage (i've only seen a small clip) but it is undeniably United States, also does anyone watch "Little Britain", because in the third series the character "bubbles deveire" was in a room that was generally thought to be a casino, but if you know your ships you can clearly see in the background the "unicorns in battle" and the lights by the entrances, clearly giving away this is the Queen Mary, then in another episode it shows one of the first class corridors and the captains quarters, has anyone seen any of these?

 

[ash briers]

oh ya and as i mentioned in another thread i once saw either Lusitania or Mauretania in a "all grown up" (later version of rugrats) its all cartoon, but which ever one it is is seen steaming off from port, showing her stern with red and rusty funnels, the docking bridge and promenades are clearly depictable of those of the 'tania standard, i will keep trying to find this episode.

 

[George L. Lorton]

Thanks Felicity! I remember it now. The name had me thinking early 1930's uncensored movies like Baby Face with Barbara Stanwyck! Yes, I was thinking that kind of Movie. Bad I know!

Eric, I saw that Dream Child as a kid and remember it fondly! I don't remember the Ship but remember the freaky dream sequences in it!

 

[Chad Goodwin]

The Titanic makes an appearance in the Cyndi Lauper Video for True Colors

 

[George L. Lorton]

Hi Chad,

No Way! The only video I remember of her's is 'Girls Wanna Have Fun'

Here's Cyndi's Video at Yoyutube!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbZDjnWtK1A

 

[Kyle Johnstone]

Worst Ship Film Ever. Ever.

"Final Voyage" starring.... Ice Cube.

The plot is a heist story, the ship, an old Floating Palace newly refitted and on her new maiden voyage, is hijacked by a gang wanting to rob the safe which for some reason is said to contain gold and jewels, and the rich and famous passengers. So original.

The ship is called "The Britannic". Not "Britannic", as the life ring says "The Britannic".

I tuned in with the hope that maybe some of it was filmed aboard the Queen Mary, and yes, some of it was. But they used the worst parts of the Queen Mary, mostly along the starboard boat deck with it's Long Beach additions such as the red British phone boxes and the life boat demonstration station. None of the Queen Mary's glorious public rooms were used.

The movie's interior ship sets were filmed in some nondescript average hotel somewhere, and the stand-in for the ship's engine room was probably the basement of said hotel, with cement walls and pillars etc.

Other interior sets were cheap looking awful sets built for the movie, such as the radio room which for some reason has a engine room telegraph mounted on the bulkhead. The wheelhouse set looks as if it may have been built by high school kids in their garage. I guess the producers couldn't afford to use what the Queen Mary had to offer, as long as they were already there.

The ship-at-sea scenes were poached from "Juggernaut", which used the Maxim Gorkey.

The climax is of course an explosion which sinks the ship, and there are hilarious shots of extras running around the Queen Mary's upper decks, followed by a half-decent animation of a sinking passenger ship.

Worst ship film ever. Ever.

 

[Kyle Johnstone]

a mostly unknown gem...

"Rich and Strange"

from 1931 directed by.... Alfred Hitchcock.

The story is basically a money-doesn't-buy -happiness morality play.

A young working class married couple from London suddenly and unexpectedly inherit a fortune from an uncle (how often does that happen?) and decide to see the world.

First stop, Paris.
At a music hall, at the close of the performance, the stage is transformed into a huge Cunard advertisement, showing a gorgeous graphic illustration of the Cunard giant three at the time, Mauretania, Berengaria, Aquitania "CUNARD Paris-New York Apply 6 Rue Scribe"

From Marseille the couple take an ocean voyage to the Far East, and from then on we are aboard ship.

Along with some pretty good sets, mostly a section of the Promenade Deck and the couple's cabin, there is much beautiful stock footage of a liner throughout the film. The ship shown in the stock footage is fairly sizeable, possibly Cunard because of the earlier Cunard promotion shown at the Paris music hall.

There is a touch of Hitchcock-ian humor, such as the husband with a dreadful attack of mal-d'-mer, which gives the wife the opportunity to become acquainted with a certain male passenger. Thus the film's melodrama typical of the time.

A good ship flick, see it if you come across it.
As for the title, "Rich and Strange", well, you'll have to ask Hitch.

 

[Chad Goodwin]

George Her 1989 release A NIGHT TO REMEMBER was inspired by a little book we all know

 

[George L. Lorton]

I didn't know Cyndi Lauper was a ANTR/Titanic Fan! Sweet and neat that she wrote a song about it! Thanks for the info Chad!

 

[John DeLoache]

Turner classic Movies (TCM) is showing a number of movies set on ocean liners every Thursday in November. The first set (Nov 3) is "Romance on the High Seas", "Luxury Liner" and "The Ship Sailed On"