The Sea Shall Not Have Them [VHS] [1954]

 

 

Create your own review

Made in 1954, this was one of the stream of war films that poured out of British studios after the end of WW2 (Appointment in London 1952, The Malta Story 1953, Above Us The Waves and the Dambusters both 1955) while the hardware was still available and memories of the real thing were fresh.
Briefly, the plot is this - British aircraft carrying officer with top secret documents is shot down into the North Sea. Everyone on board survives and an RAF Rescue launch is sent to get them, but breaks down en route. All concerned spend a night wallowing around in the freezing water until the boat is repaired, the RAF boys rescued and all is right with the world in the end. We won, after all.
Like most such films it contained the usual suspects - the gruff but kindly senior N.C.O. (Nigel Patrick in no-nonsense gercha mode), the nice middle-class junior officer (Anthony Steele) and a whole host of gor-blimey-Bill-it's-a-bagpiper A.B.s, Privates and AC2s of varying degrees of villainy, cowardice, incompetence and reluctant bravery. Dirk Bogarde does his shrill and hysterical turn (perfected a few years before in The Blue Lamp, 1950) as a WOPAG who doesn't cope well with stress - but then after a night in an open dinghy, swamped by the North Sea, I don't suppose I would either.
Probably the best turns come from two sources. Firstly, Michael Redgrave as the Boffin carrying the Top Secret briefcase (a MacGuffin about German V3 rockets). Redgrave was a wonderful screen actor, and it never ceases to amaze me why he wasn't used more effectively by the big studios (he featured in over 50 films, but most of them were eminently forgettable). Here he turns in a sensitive, under-played performance typical of the kind that, once seen, is hard to forget (vide The Captive Heart, 1944, Dead of Night, 1945). Particularly effective, even touching, is the scene he plays with Bogarde in the dinghy, both by this time drenched and frozen, where each discovers that they come from the same town and probably know each other's fathers. It's a beautiful sequence, played note-perfectly by both actors, but with Redgrave's gentle warmth practically glowing off the screen.
The second, scarcely-ever-noticed performance that, I think, says much more than it seems to, comes from a little-known character actor called Guy Middleton. He plays Squadron Leader Scott, who is based at the station from which the aircaft in question is missing. However, though he looks the part - smart uniform with cap at a jaunty angle, handle-bar moustache and wizzard-prang accent - he is far from the racy, heroic figure that the phrase "R.A.F. Squadron Leader" would normally conjure up. The all-important R.A.F. pilot's "Wings" are missing from his uniform. He is a non-flying ground officer, a "penguin", whose main role seems to be organising station entertainments, pestering the Station Commander and generally getting in everyone's way (how he ever got to be a Squadron Leader is something of a mystery). At one point, trying to do the Right Thing, he reassures the girlfriend (a station WAAF) of one of the missing plane's crew that he (the boyfriend) is all right and will soon be home, whereas the truth is that they are still missing and unofficially believed killed. The truth of his well-meant deception comes out, the girl is even more upset than she was before, and he earns even more withering contempt from the C.O. than he has already received.
Yet you can see that, in his heart of hearts, he means well and wishes that he could be one of the heroes who set out every day to bomb the Nazis into submission. He knows that everyone despises him and that even the Other Ranks treat him with barely-veiled contempt. And yet he is doing his small best with what he has, which isn't much. It is a heroic, unsung performance from a fine character actor who, like Redgrave, was used far less than he might have been.
There are other nice little touches that wouldn't mean much to most people. The boat sent to search for the downed crew is an R.A.F. rescue launch, a boat manned by airmen; but the aircraft sent out to help in the search, a Supermarine Sea Otter, is a Royal Navy aircraft, crewed by sailors. Crazy or what?
It is hard to take films like this seriously in an era which has seen countless mickey-takes by the likes of TW3, Monty Python and Armstrong and Miller (not to mention the truly dreadful "Piece of Cake" series). Yet what seem now to be caricatures and pastiches probably reflected, to a great extent, how people saw themselves and others back then, in an era when the greatest conflict in human history was still a current memory for anyone old enough to have seen the film when it was first released. If you ever see this film, try and remember that, and treat it with respect.

This film tells the story of among others, my grandfather, so I will be a little biased! My Nan during this period received the telegram informing her that my Popa was missing, presumed dead - so this film also has good historical value. It's a shame it is not on DVD, because it is a very watchable war film - not too long and with a good, real life storyline. Even children would enjoy watching it!

From a really experienced dvd/vhs viewer, I can say that Attenborough/s/ Stels Performances (As viewed only on Sky/Freeview are among the best of the Genre "Air - Sea Rescue Drama. Its Such a pity its not avaivable by (
Say Optimum " on Dvd- A real Pity for younger viewers who enjoy the
format

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 8 customer reviews...

 

5.0 out of 5 stars Memories
This is a first class classic British film that is at last available in DVD format (Region 1). I have waited years for it.
I suppose I might be a bit biased, though. Read more

Published 2 months ago by Len Loullis

5.0 out of 5 stars RAF Air Sea rescue
Great picture, based around the crew of an RAF Air Sea Rescue launch and their exploits in rescuing the crew of a downed RAF bomber.
Thoroughly watchable, even in b & W. Read more

Published on 30 Jan 2010 by Swingtime Steve

4.0 out of 5 stars a rare MCS story
Until 1985 the RAF had what was arguably the best air sea rescue service in the world using launches, mostly in the Channel and usually known as "Bomb Alley". Read more

Published on 25 Jan 2010 by James Wells

5.0 out of 5 stars Britain at its best, a great 'wet' war film.
Set during the final winter of WWII this film tells the story of the crew of an RAF bomber and their VIP passenger who are forced to take to a life raft after being shot down by... Read more

Published on 21 May 2009 by Mr. C. L. Newcombe

5.0 out of 5 stars The sea shall not have them
Possibly one of the last British wartime films from a long forgotten age. The story is based around a Royal Air Force air sea rescue launch that is plagued with misfortune. Read more

Published on 21 Sep 2005 by charles Mackay

Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

› See all 8 customer reviews...

Search Listmania!