MYSTERY OF THE MARY CELESTE (1935/Hammer)80mins. BW. UK.
Aka: PHANTOM SHIP (US). Originally titled: SECRETS OF THE MARY CELESTE
Credits: Dir: Denison Clift; Prod: H. Fraser Passmore;
Sc: Charles Larworthy & Denison Clift;Ph: Geoffrey Faithfull & Eric Cross; Art: J. Elder Wills; Mus: Eric Ansell.
Cast: Bela Lugosi , Shirley Grey, Arthur Margetson, Edmund Wil lard, George Mozart, Ben Welden, Dennis Hoey , Gibson Gowland, Clifford McLaglen, Terence De Marney, Herbert Cameron, Ben Soutten , James Carew, Gunner Moir, Johnny Schofield, D.J. Williams , Bruce Gordon, Edgar Pierce, J.B. Williams, Charles Mortimer, J. Ed ward Pierce, Wilfred Essex, Monty de Lyle, Alec Fraser, the famous 'Q' ship "Mary B. Mitchell".
In 182-, the Mary Celeste is discovered off the coast of Gibralter with no crew on board, but with every sign that they had only just left, including places already set for the crew's dinner. Investigations reveal that one armed Anton Lorenzen, (Lugosi), diguised under the pseudonym A. Gottlieb, was press ganged into service six years previously, ill treated by the first mate, Toby Bilson, (Willard), causing Anton to go insane and throw the crew, one by one, overboard.
An unconvincing solution to an age old mystery in Hammer studio's second production which later found success by remaking old horror films in glorious gory colour. All exterior shots were filmed on a real ship. Lugosi's first British film in which all the British actors portrayed American seamen. Lugosi was offered a further two picture contract in Britain, but when he learned that his beloved dogs would have to be quarantined for six months before they could join him, he rejected the offer and returned to America.
The American version, THE PHANTOM SHIP, omitted the opening and closing sequences set in a maritime courtroom, due to a presumption that an American audience would be less familiar with the story than their British counterparts, and would not necessarily understand what the court proceedings referred to.
