SEA WIFE is an absorbing, energetic melodrama set during the thick of World War II. Based on the novel "Sea-Wyf and Biscuit" by J.M. Scott, it follows four mismatched survivors after their boat is torpedoed by Japanese forces.
Cast adrift in a lifeboat are a young nun (Joan Collins), an RAF officer (Richard Burton), a stuffy old businessman (Basil Sydney), and the ship's purser (Cy Grant). Giving each other nicknames, the group sets out to find land, but slowly "Sea Wife" and "Biscuit" start to develop an unlikely relationship. Holding to her religious beliefs, "Sea Wife" keeps her real identity a secret from the rest of the survivors, despite the ardent pursuit of "Biscuit".
SEA WIFE reminds me a lot of "Heaven Knows, Mr Allison", a similarly-themed film from Fox which starred Deborah Kerr and Robert Mitchum. Whatever the comparison, SEA WIFE stands on it's own as a thoroughly engaging romantic adventure; Collins and Burton are smashing in the leads.
The DVD includes restoration comparison, scene-specific audio commentary by Aubrey Solomon, image galleries, and the trailer. (Single-sided, single-layer disc).
Available separately or as part of The Joan Collins Superstar Collection (The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing / Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys! / The Sea Wife / Seven Thieves / Stopover Tokyo)