Lifeboat (1944)

Lifeboat (1944) is an Alfred Hitchcock John Steinbeck wartime drama-of-limited-setting Nazi paranoia romance with occasional noir reminiscent moments and qualities, although largely a stand alone and unique tension and romance drama of amputation and elegance, class-clashes and peril.

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock,  ce filme la the awesome and always enjoyable and atmospheric Lifeboat is a gripping American survival film based on a story by John Steinbeck. Set entirely on a lifeboat adrift in the Atlantic during World War II, the movie explores the complexities of human nature under extreme circumstances.

The film opens with the aftermath of a naval battle: a British ship and a German U-boat have sunk each other. Eight survivors from different backgrounds find themselves crammed into a lifeboat. Among them is Willi, a German U-boat crewman who is pulled aboard. 

The tension escalates as engine room crewman Kovac demands that Willi be thrown overboard to drown. However, others, including radioman Stanley, wealthy industrialist Rittenhouse, and columnist Connie Porter, argue for his survival.

As the group struggles to organize their rations and set a course for Bermuda, tensions rise. Mrs. Higley, a grieving British woman, jumps off the boat in a desperate act. Meanwhile, Willi’s true identity is revealed—he is the U-boat captain, not just a crewman. The survivors must cooperate to survive, even when faced with amputating the injured Gus Smith’s leg.

Kovac initially takes charge, but Willi, who speaks English and consults a concealed compass, wrests control away during a storm. Gus, hallucinating from drinking seawater, accuses Willi of hoarding water. When Willi pushes Gus overboard, the others are too late to save him.

Later, the survivors discover that Willi indeed has a flask of water. He explains that U-boat crew members carry food tablets and energy pills, emphasizing the need for a survival plan. In a fit of anger, the group attacks Willi, ultimately tossing him to his death.

Survival cigarette ritual with Talullah Bankhead and John Hodiak in Lifeboat (1944)

Morality becomes a central theme. Rittenhouse wonders how to deal with someone like Willi, while Stanley proposes to Alice, despite their grim prospects. Connie, refusing to give up, offers her Cartier diamond bracelet as bait for fishing. A fish bites, but the line is lost in the rush to row toward a distant ship.

John Hodiak in Lifeboat (1944)

Hope arrives when they spot a German supply ship, but it, too, is sunk by a US warship. A fierce battle ensues, nearly destroying the lifeboat. Afterward, Kovac estimates that an Allied vessel will arrive in twenty minutes.

Lifeboat challenges our perceptions of right and wrong, compassion, and survival instincts. Hitchcock’s masterful direction and the stellar performances of Tallulah Bankhead, William Bendix, and the ensemble cast make this film a thought-provoking and underrated gem in Hitchcock’s repertoire.

Alfred Hitchcock’s Lifeboat, while often considered one of his lesser-known works, stirred significant debate during the 1940s and 1950s. The film’s portrayal of a German U-boat captain and its depiction of an African-American character named Joe sparked controversy.

The story unfolds as nine survivors find themselves adrift in a lifeboat after their ship is sunk during World War II. Among them is Willy, the German captain, who exhibits superhuman abilities—using a compass, amputating a leg, and rowing tirelessly. For many, Willy symbolized the physical superiority of the German people, leading to discomfort and misunderstanding.

Canada Lee in Lifeboat (1944)

John Steinbeck, who wrote the original story, expressed concern about Hitchcock’s portrayals. However, his objection wasn’t related to the Nazi angle. Instead, Steinbeck disapproved of the treatment of other characters, including Joe. The film’s creators faced accusations of pre-empting Steinbeck’s creative authority.

Hitchcock defended the portrayal of Willy, emphasizing that the film’s moral message was about unity among the Allies. He believed in respecting even the villainous characters, making the hero’s triumph more admirable. Actress Tallulah Bankhead supported Hitchcock’s intention to teach a crucial lesson: “You can’t trust the enemy.” In Lifeboat, the seemingly affable Nazi captain reveals his true nature.

Yet, criticism persisted. Joe, the African-American character, was deemed too stereotypical. Actor Canada Lee attempted to enhance Joe’s role by revising dialogue and actions. The film faced scrutiny from the Office of War Information, which recommended against overseas distribution due to racial characterizations.

Despite the controversies, critics praised the film’s acting, direction, and cinematography. Hitchcock’s decision to omit background music during the film proper was appreciated. However, studio executives limited its release, impacting box office performance.

In retrospect, Lifeboat remains a fascinating entry in Hitchcock’s filmography, a voyage through treacherous waters of controversy and creativity.

Alfred Hitchcock cameo appearance in Lifeboat (1944)

Tallulah Bankhead's sarcasm and theatricality is the turbo engine that keeps this speedboat o' paranoia-drama racing through the seconds, with her flirty dominant rough and ready relational banter and sparring with John Hodiak, and her cool and calm control at all times, sympathetically American with British pluck, emotionally on top of the sordid levelling of the raft of the medusa as a fearless and friendly femme riding the wavy fate of these characters perilous and atmospheric journey.

John Hodiak in Lifeboat (1944)

Tallulah Bankhead in Lifeboat (1944)

The finest moments of drama come along from the anti-Gerry sentiment, as the ultimate dramatic set up pays off, with suspicion and pride baffling the fate and sanity of the characters, wound up on the imperfect floating destiny created for them by the war.

Alfred Hitchcock does not seem himself to be as evident as he might normally be, in terms of his trademark super-hit shots, like the much admired and copied Hitchcock to-camera story telling stare. But yet that shot is there, it creeps in and lands like a punch, several times in the later movie, the Hitchcock face you down camera stare in fullest force.

This page at The Hitchcock Zone has 1000 frames from Lifeboat (1944) posted uploaded and visible for the internet ages and for absolute Lifeboat (1944) pleasure.

And suddenly, in the midst of the rocking threat of death and the close quartered acting there is a group act of violent revenge led murder, a close quarters execution, an ultra hard death by the bare hands, with four or five against one, but not interestingly the actor Canada Lee. 

Two women and three men spontaneously murder a German by tearing him from his berg on the lifeboat and handling him, brutally into the water and away. The actor Canada Lee does not take part, begging an interesting question or two.

Non-musical ravening adventure upon the high seas of war Lifeboat (1944) is far deeper and more sensual than anyone has given it credit for, it's a profound and fantastic sea reverie and war reverie and human psychology reverie, and absolutely transporting as such. 

Non-musical because the delightful Lifeboat (1944) does not have a musical score, for orchestrally dramatic reasons this is elegant as a choice and the Bankhead makes the racket for all as the Bendix cries and havers, and Hume Cronyn's English accent is music enough. It would interesting to find out if Hume Cronyn ever visited England, or upon what he based his actorly accented English version of the language of the land of England from where his character is expected to hale, and says as much.

Last cigarette ritual in Lifeboat (1944)

Lighting up teamwork in Lifeboat (1944)

Smoking the last cigarette in Lifeboat (1944)

Also it is at this point that an inexplicable narration in voice over commences, handed to the character of --- played by Henry Hall.

Dorothy Thompson must be heard next, as a voice to represent doubt or worry or fear of the articulation of war in her article. 

In her article, Dorothy Thompson critiques the film "Lifeboat," directed by Alfred Hitchcock and produced by Twentieth Century-Fox, with a screenplay originally written by John Steinbeck. She highlights the significant deviations from Steinbeck's original script, which depicted the Nazi character as an ordinary person, with the main focus on a diverse set of characters, including an African American steward and an American nurse. 

In the film version that we see, and bearing in mind the Nazi is a firm and favourite stalwart villain of the noir period, the post noir period, and all the post noir periods after that, including post and neo noir, and post neo-noir, and despite all of this however, the Nazi is portrayed as a highly competent and intelligent "superman," the only person in the lifeboat with purpose and skill.

Heather Angel in Lifeboat (1944)

Heather Angel and Hume Cronyn in Lifeboat (1944)

Thompson argues that the film glorifies the Nazi character, presenting him as a model of efficiency and intelligence, in stark contrast to the other characters, who are depicted as aimless and self-indulgent. The film concludes with the crew killing the Nazi not because of his evil actions, but because they are jealous of his competence. 

Thompson finds this portrayal dangerous and misleading, suggesting it could serve as Nazi propaganda, especially if shown in other countries. She questions how the film was approved by the Hays Office and urges the filmmakers to stop and revise the film. She notes that critics like Bosley Crowther of the New York Times share her concerns, underscoring the urgency of addressing the film's problematic message.

article: A Film that Could Aid German Morale

author(s): Dorothy Thompson

newspaper: Amarillo Globe (31/Jan/1944)

After the success of The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men in 1940, John Steinbeck received offers to write screenplays but was initially uninterested in commercial writing. He declined a lucrative offer from Darryl F. Zanuck to work unpaid on The Forgotten Village, a documentary with Herbert Kline in Mexico, for which he wrote a narrative instead of a conventional script.

Steinbeck did not contribute to the screenplays of subsequent adaptations of his works, including Tortilla Flat (1942) and The Moon Is Down (1943).

Lifeboat, adapted from a 40,000-word story by John Steinbeck, is an allegorical tale exploring a group of characters in a confined setting, a theme Steinbeck revisited in his later novel The Wayward Bus. Steinbeck intended the original story to be introspective, narrated from the first-person viewpoint of Bud, a young merchant seaman. 

In Alfred Hitchcock's adaptation, Bud's character becomes Gus, who meets a tragic end, and the Nazi seaman evolves into a more prominent character named Willi, portrayed as an Übermensch figure.

The film features Constance Porter, modelled after the real-life journalist Dorothy Thompson. Known for her anti-fascist writings and being expelled from Nazi Germany, Thompson ironically despised the film, dismissing it shortly after its release. 

Lifeboat is noted as maybe the first true real-life possible factual actual in-fact one-set motion picture, marking a significant cinematic innovation. The film creatively balances realism and artistic license, drawing from various sources, including Elizabeth Fowler's true-life account Standing Room Only and Frank Borzage's Strange Cargo (1940), which featured a woman in a lifeboat with men.

A recurring motif in Lifeboat is the characters' hair, particularly highlighting Constance's vanity and transformation. Constance's hair, often compared to Joan Crawford's glamorous appearance in Strange Cargo, symbolises or maybe even symbolizes her emotional journey, especially in relation to Kovac, another central character. The film hints at deeper psychological undertones, with an unused script passage suggesting Freud's influence, where the act of letting down a character's hair symbolizes or sometimes even symbolises romantic or sexual intimacy.

Yes it means that this joy of a film, Lifeboat, is a complex narrative that delves into human nature and social dynamics under duress. The film's innovative setting, character development, and symbolic use of visual motifs, such as hair, contribute to its enduring significance in cinema history.

Steinbeck's first commercial screenplay was for this film here, the here discussed Lifeboat (1944), a film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, though the final script was mostly written by Jo Swerling.

The movie blends Hitchcock's suspense with Steinbeck's philosophical themes, depicting a microcosm of society adrift at sea after a German submarine sinks an American freighter. The narrative explores the interactions between a diverse group of survivors and a Nazi commander, who becomes a controversial figure for his portrayal as resourceful and charismatic, contrasting with the often ineffective democratic characters. 

This led to criticism that the film portrayed the Nazi too sympathetically, echoing concerns previously raised about The Moon Is Down.

Despite criticisms, the movie Lifeboat enjoyed a long and successful run in New York. The collaboration between John Steinbeck, Alfred Hitchcock, and Jo Swerling was not indicative of pro-Nazi sentiments. Steinbeck’s earlier work, The Moon Is Down, promoted resistance against oppression, and Hitchcock had previously made anti-Nazi films. The controversial portrayal of the Nazi character in Lifeboat was meant to demonstrate the need for democratic unity against a focused enemy. 

Hume Cronyn in Lifeboat (1944)

The Nazi character, although resourceful and seemingly admirable, is depicted as treacherous, hoarding resources and steering the boat towards a German ship while keeping his deceit secret.

Critics' reactions varied, with some praising the film's intelligence and suspense, while others feared it could be misinterpreted as glorifying the Nazi. Steinbeck's original unpublished script differed significantly from the final screenplay, with the Nazi character less idealized and without the melodramatic elements added in the adaptation. 

The original narrative lacked the Hollywood-style dialogue and was more aligned with Steinbeck's intentions, devoid of the contrived elements present in the film.

John Steinbeck's original narrative for Lifeboat presents a more harrowing and realistic depiction of survival at sea compared to the cinematic adaptation by Jo Swerling and Alfred Hitchcock. Steinbeck's manuscript, a first-person narrative by a character named Bud Abbott, emphasizes the harsh realities of life adrift: physical exhaustion, hunger, and the brutality of nature. 

This contrasts with the film's portrayal, which was criticized for a lack of realism—such as the absence of bilge water and the survivors' surprisingly fresh appearances. Critics noted that the movie's glamorous elements, like the character Connie Porter's high-end accessories, detracted from the seriousness of their ordeal.

Steinbeck's narrative, influenced by works like Stephen Crane's The Open Boat and Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea, offers detailed descriptions of the sea and the grueling conditions the survivors faced. His portrayal of the Nazi character diverges significantly from the film's depiction. In the original story, the Nazi is not a superman; he has a broken arm, lacks resources like water and energy pills, and does not dominate the group. 

The novel's climax involves a more ambiguous and less melodramatic treatment of the Nazi's death, where the characters, including the compassionate Alice, are conflicted about their actions.

In contrast, Swerling's screenplay intensifies the drama and moral ambiguity, particularly in the scene where the survivors violently kill the Nazi, depicted with animalistic ferocity. This scene's vivid brutality aligns more with Steinbeck's other works, such as In Dubious Battle, than with the narrative's overall pacifist tone. 

Steinbeck's narrative ultimately critiques the madness of war, with characters like Alice voicing the senselessness of violence and the moral complexities of hating one's enemy. The cinematic adaptation's changes, especially the character alterations and added melodrama, transformed Steinbeck's introspective story into a more conventional Hollywood thriller.

The passage critiques wartime propaganda and the manipulation of public sentiment during World War II, as expressed through the lens of John Steinbeck's work and commentary from figures like David Lardner and George Orwell.

Steinbeck's narrator, Abbott, expresses frustration with the oversimplified portrayal of the war, where the Allies are depicted as entirely good and the Axis powers as entirely evil. He criticizes how propaganda seeks to strip individuals of their critical thinking and individuality, turning them into a collective group-man devoid of nuanced thought.

The narrator argues that both sides in the war engage in similar actions but justify them differently, highlighting a moral double standard. This sentiment is echoed by Orwell, who noted that nationalists often justify atrocities committed by their own side while condemning those of the enemy. 

Abbott also reflects on the domestic front, criticizing the hypocrisy and profiteering of some Americans, including those who superficially support the war effort while pursuing personal gain.

Steinbeck's narrative contrasts sharply with the more simplistic portrayal in the film adaptation, which promotes wartime solidarity and glosses over the complexities of American society, including issues of corruption and economic inequality. 

The text also foreshadows post-war disillusionment, suggesting that returning soldiers, disillusioned with the political and economic status quo, may demand significant reforms. This commentary, while set during World War II, also resonates with contemporary critiques of later conflicts, such as the Vietnam War and the political corruption of the Watergate era.

Steinbeck’s novel presents a comprehensive case for liberal views on economics and warfare, primarily through the interior monologue of Abbott, a character whose introspections are largely lost in the film adaptation.

Henry Hull in Lifeboat (1944)

Jo Swerling's screenplay, while cinematically effective, fails to capture the novel's social consciousness, especially in its portrayal of Joe, the black steward. Swerling reduces Joe to a racial stereotype, even giving him the offensive nickname "Charcoal." 

In contrast, Steinbeck portrays Joe as a brave and sensitive man, a classical musician marginalized by racism, who heroically saves others, including a German soldier and an Englishwoman. The film's depiction of Joe is a significant departure from Steinbeck's more complex character, and this simplification leads to the loss of the novel’s deeper commentary on race.

The film, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, replaces Steinbeck's meditative narrative with suspenseful melodrama, featuring Nazi plots, a gruesome amputation, and a marriage immediately following a lynching. While these elements heighten the film’s excitement, they come at the expense of the novel's substance. 

The movie omits Steinbeck's serious commentary on capitalism, war, propaganda, and race, turning what could have been a profound exploration of human nature into slick entertainment. The claustrophobic setting, however, provided Hitchcock with an opportunity for inventive direction, and the film showcases some of the best performances from its cast, including Tallulah Bankhead and William Bendix. 

Despite its flaws, the film remains significant for its treatment of recurring Steinbeck themes like leadership, group dynamics, and the primal nature of humanity. Yet, it falls short of the terrifying potential that James Agee believed it could have achieved, ultimately serving more as a clever entertainment than a serious study of survival and politics.

Lifeboat (1944)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Genres - Drama, War  |   Sub-Genres - Survival Film  |   Release Date - Jan 28, 1944  |   Run Time - 97 min.  |