Top ten sailing movies

[StevenBauer]

ClassicBoat Magazine listed their top ten sailing flicks. What do you think? Did they get them right?

In random order:

The Riddle Of The Sands, 1978
Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World, 2003
Down To The Sea In Ships, 1949
Knife In The Water, 1962
The Boat, 1921
Moby Dick, 1956
The African Queen, 1952
Captains Courageous, 1937
1492 Conquest of Paradise, 1992
The Old Man And The Sea, 1990


I questioned the African Queen choice until I read this:

"Though there is no sailing and most of the on-water footage was shot in London, the film contains a fine portrayal of an idiosyncratic steam power plant."

There are some fine directors represented: John Huston, Roman Polanski, Buster Keaton, Ridley Scott, etc.

So what do you think? Any glaring omissions?

Steven

[S/V Laura Ellen]

Where is Captain Ron?

[StevenBauer]

Where is Captain Ron?

It is a British magazine, Allan, they might not get "Captain Ron".

[rbgarr]

If African Queen is on the list for the steam plant, Jaws wouldn't be far off for the sinking scene. ;>

[Paul Pless]

As long as they got Captain's Courageous in there they got the list mostly right. Awesome legitimate footage in that movie...

[johngsandusky]

White Squall
Message in a Bottle, if they would edit it to only the sailing scenes of Malabar II.

[StevenBauer]

As long as they got Captain's Courageous in there they got the list mopstly right. Awesome legitimate footage in that movie...

That was my feeling, too.That was the first one I looked for.



Steven

[PatrickXavier]

The Bounty, 1984 (based on Richard Hough's Captain Bligh and Mr Christian, rather than the tired old Mutiny on the Bounty)

Sea Wolf, 1993 (from the Jack London story)

Treasure Island, 1990 (with Charlton Heston as Long John Silver)

(At least no-one, not even rgbarr, mentioned PotC.)

[mick allen]

'das boote' has gotta be near the top.

.

[George Ray]

The Last Sailors.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ef=cm_cr_error

[WX]

The Cruel Sea

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cruel_Sea_(film)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OMcV...eature=related

[Thad Van Gilder]

I thought message in a bottle had a concordia in it...

You gotta have Captain Ron in that list!

-Thad

[Dale Genther]

Thad, Message In a Bottle had the Concordia "Arapaho" in it and also a Malabar.

I tried to order a copy of The Riddle of the Sands thru Netflix but it didn't show up in a search. Where can I find it?

[Garth Jones]

Well, if a steam plant and a sinking are required, then how about 'Titanic?' The scenes in the engine room are really cool she does sink.

For really good sailing and ship photography (and a sinking) I would suggest 'White Squall.'

[Saltiguy]

Not sailing, but a great sea story that comes to mind is "The wreck of the Mary Deare"
A few of those old Errol Flynn movies had some great sailing scenes - they used real ships too!

[Hwyl]

Unless it has "Wind" it has no validity. It's THE sailing movie, love it or hate it.

I've never seen Riddle either, I joined NetFlix especially to get it.

I'd obviously include Swallows and Amazons

[Dale Genther]

Garth- Did you find Riddle on Narflix? Because I couldn't. Maybe I did my search wrong.

[FSS172]

Second the 'Wind' nomination. I'd add 'The Perfect Storm' - also not sailing (except for that one sub-plot) - but pretty gripping stuff....

[Hwyl]

Garth- Did you find Riddle on Narflix? Because I couldn't. Maybe I did my search wrong.

No, in fact I cancelled my subscription because of that, and no Disney sailing movie "Morning Light", nor the Dylan Thomas movie "Edge of Love".

[watson1990]

I haven't seen anyone mention "And the sea will tell " ,
Athough it was a 2 part movie...it is available at Barnes and Nobles

watson

[gert]

The Riddle Of The Sands, 1978

I didn't know this had been made into a movie; great read.

I picked this up at my favorite used book store; the proprietor said he has had a consistent half dozen inquiries a year for it for decades. Perfect movie material actually. Should be on PBS Mystery.

[Thermo]

How could anyone forget this gem from Oz? It makes my top 5.

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

[Tinman]

The Cruel Sea

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cruel_Sea_(film)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OMcV...eature=related

You stole my thunder. This is without doubt one of the msot accurate accounts of life at sea during ww2 I have ever seen. Another great flick is called "The Key" Salvage tugs rescuing wounded frieghters. For wind powered stories, it's gotta be Master and Commander.

[TimH]

+1 for Captain Ron

There was a movie back in the 80s called I believe "Voyage of the Black Pearl". Dont remember much about it but that I would want to see it again.

[Dan McCosh]

I would toss in "Dead Calm". I don't get the movies without sailing as best sailing movies. When you start up on sea stories, or even boating, it gets a bit broad.

[cs]

What about "Summer Rental?"

Chad

[Paul Pless]

I would toss in "Dead Calm". I don't get the movies without sailing as best sailing movies. When you start up on sea stories, or even boating, it gets a bit broad.

Very pretty actress in that movie. And a rather nice plywood boat too.

more here: http://www.stormvogel.net/home.php

[J. Dillon]

Rent this one if you can get it. "Knife in the water."

JD

Review Summary

Noz w Wodzie was not only Polanski's first feature-length film, but it also marked the first screen appearance of Polish actor Zygmunt Malanowicz who played a young student. In fact, the only experienced thespian in the featured trio is Leon Niemczyk as Andrzej, the self-important, somewhat arrogant husband of Kataryna. Andrzej and Kataryna pick up the student as he is hitchhiking and invite him to join them on their boat for an outing. As the threesome head out to open water, the husband and the student start a kind of jealous interaction that keeps Kataryna mildly amused. What began as a macho sparring ends up in a fight that has the student falling overboard and the husband swimming to shore for help. But appearances are deceiving, as the husband will soon discover. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
Full New York Times Review »

[George Ray]

The more recent "Thomas Crown Affair" with some 'big cat' play boats doing wild things.

[Dryfeet]

Many, many years ago I saw a great movie called "The Truth About Spring" it had what's his name "Danno" (from Hawaii 5 oh fame) along with some gal whose name I should remember but can't. Set in the carribbean, old man with young daughter on old sailing vessel up against some nefarious crooks, joined by a couple other old codgers and their boats. They get into a bind and Danno, a rich kid off some motor yacht comes to their aid and falls in love with the old guy's beautiful daughter.

It was actually a Disney movie and I have never been able to find it for rent, for sale or whatever. anyone know anything more about it?

[Three Cedars]

Would you believe a movie set in modern times that features a group of 18th century pirates who predate upon yachties ? The movie is uneven but it does have some sailing.

" The Island " written by Peter Benchley

[TimmS]

I saw a couple of you mentioned 'Message in a Bottle' I saw that a while back and was not impressed with the story, but loved the sailing footage. I also liked how Costner is just randomly sanding in the middle of the cabintop! Also, what is up with the story being set in "the outer banks" and the coastline sure looks a lot like Maine? I've never seen rocky coast line or mountains on the North Carolina coast :P

[jerrys]

How about The World In His Arms. Some of the best shots of large schooners racing to do in the Alaska seal.

[The Bigfella]

Tugboat Annie

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tugboat_Annie

King of the Coral Sea - 1953 with Chips Rafferty. I've been on the pearling lugger that was used in this film.

[WX]

Swallows and Amazons

[SchoonerRat]

Somebody has to mention "Captain Horatio Hornblower."

I apologize if I missed it on a previous post.

[paladin]

I like the one with Costner sailing the big tri sister to Elf Aquataine..."Waterworld" I think....

[WX]

Waterworld!? Sorry Chuck, the Tri was interesting but the movie was rubbish.

[PatCassidy]

I second Gregory Peck's Hornblower as well as the Hornblower series by the A&E channel.

[SailorBob]

If you are going to mention "Voyage of the Black Pearl" and "The Cruel Sea" you should also include "Wake of The Red Witch" (John Wayne) and another British WWII movie "The Sea Shall Not Have Them" then although not exactly about ships, but more to do with the crew, what about "The Caine Mutiny"?

Myself? I'm more of a reader than a movie buff. Try "Grey Seas under" and "The serpents Coil" for real suspense reading of deep sea salvage tugs by Canadian Author: Farley Mowat.

[Thermo]

What kind of boat was the Knife in the Water boat?

[downthecreek]

Not sailing, but a great sea story that comes to mind is "The wreck of the Mary Deare"
A few of those old Errol Flynn movies had some great sailing scenes - they used real ships too!

Seconded. Great shots at sea. Also, I always remember the dread inspired in the people aboard the derelict ship by "the Minkies".

It was only much later, when I was working on boats, that Les Minquiers became familiar friends as we sailed up and down channel.

Also, of course, the Roches Douvres, which, on our usual first passage when we had a week's trip, were usually passed just around dawn.

A chilly, yellow and green sunrise, with people just starting to stir out of the night's trance, the dew dripping off the rigging, murmered conversations as the new watch appeared sleepily on deck, the smell of bacon sandwiches wafting up from the galley and the Roches Douvres just visible in jagged sillhouette over to port.......

Good days.

[isla]

If you are going to mention "Voyage of the Black Pearl" and "The Cruel Sea" you should also include "Wake of The Red Witch" (John Wayne) and another British WWII movie "The Sea Shall Not Have Them" then although not exactly about ships, but more to do with the crew, what about "The Caine Mutiny"?

Myself? I'm more of a reader than a movie buff. Try "Grey Seas under" and "The serpents Coil" for real suspense reading of deep sea salvage tugs by Canadian Author: Farley Mowat.

I love those books, and they would make great movies. I particularly like the way he says 'these were the biggest seas we had ever encountered' about every five pages

'Billy Budd' is definitely worth a mention.

[paladin]

WX...I know...I think it was a trash movie also...but I liked the sailing sequences with the tri...except for the vertical "sails" bit...behind the scenes they resurrected the molds for Elf Aquataine and built the tri, and it was one fast machine in real life.

[Cuyahoga Chuck]

About a week ago I just made the acquaintence of a special effect movie guy who was in Nova Scotia with local shipwrights ( many of whom were brought out of retirement) to build a version of the "Bounty" for the 1960's version of the flick.
There were a couple of diesel-electrics concealed in the bottom but it was an authentic hand crafted, fully rigged sailing vessal that was sailed in later life with only a small single diesel for safety reasons.

What about " Two Years Before the Mast" with Allen Ladd? The book, non-fiction, by Richard Henry Dana was something of a blockbuster when it was published in the 1840's and is still a good read.
It is claimed that Dana's depiction of a flogging on an American vessal is what got flogging outlawed.

[Cuyahoga Chuck]

The Cruel Sea

If " The Cruel Sea" is in than so should "The Enemy Below". Robert Mitchum has as much stiff upper lip as Jack Hawkins.

[Cuyahoga Chuck]

What kind of boat was the Knife in the Water boat?

If i remember correctly it was a day sailer and was just the platform for a story loaded with a lot of angst. You can justify more angst it the characters are elbow to elbow on a smallish sailboat.
And it kept the cost down. The boat is the soundstage and the sun provides the lighting. Just the thing for a communist controlled country where the economy is perpetually in the tank.
The locale was a big lake in the Mazurian Lakes District in Northern Poland.
Come to think of it, Polanski was rather slick in producing a classic film under such adverse conditions.
It ain't a boat flick in my judgement.

[Ron Paro]

A few more for the list, not neccesarily 'Best Ever', but not to be entirely overlooked...
The Endurance - Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition (2000)
Kon Tiki (1951)
Longitude (2000)

[Bark]

I recommend watching Master & Commander with the subtitles on - the script is fantastic, and the subtitles helped me pick up a lot of the background chatter ... I do love that movie ...

[Paul Stohlman]

Must Like Dogs, not a sailing movie, but wooden rowing shells figure prominently.

His shop is way too clean, but it sensitively handles the "wooden shell as salad bar" question.

Any movie with a sailing vessel in it automatically gets an "up-thumb" from me.

Kinda like any movie with Marisa Tomei.

Whoops, now I've said too much...