1959 British film
Ferry to Hong Kong is a 1959 British melodrama/adventure film directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Curt Jürgens, Sylvia Syms, Orson Welles and Jeremy Spenser.[1]
Plot
Mark Conrad, a debonair Anglo-Austrian former playboy and junk owner, now an alcoholic down-and-out, is expelled from Hong Kong. He is placed on an ancient ferry boat, the Fa Tsan (known to its crew as the Fat Annie), despite the protests of the pompous owner, Captain Cecil Hart.
He travels to Macau, but is refused entry for the same reason he was expelled from Hong Kong. He engages the captain in a card game and wins the right to 'live' on board. His charming manner endears him to the crew and to an attractive teacher Liz Ferrers, a regular passenger.
The ferry is nearly wrecked in a typhoon, but Conrad wrests command from the cowardly and drunken captain and saves the ship. Drifting out of control near the Chinese coast, they are boarded by pirates, led by Chinese-American Johnny Sing-up. Sing-up reveals that Hart is a former conman who won the ship in a crooked card-game.
Conrad becomes a hero when he saves the ship, and is allowed to stay in Hong Kong. He is tempted to continue his budding relationship with Liz, but decides to resist it until
he has 'beaten the dragon'.
Production
Development
The film was based on a 1957 novel by Simon Kent. Lewis Gilbert says the film rights were owned by Sydney Box who offered him the film; Gilbert agreed provided he had complete creative control. "I was probably a bit egotistical around then," said Gilbert "I'd had six pictures that were very successful." Box had nothing to do with the final film, which was financed by Rank.[3]
The film was among those movies made by Rank to appeal to the international market, involving colour and location filming.[2] Rank had rationalised its film production arm, decreasing overall output but putting more money in a certain number of films. Rank chairman John Davis said: "It is vital that the greatest possible financial encouragement should be given to the making of important films: for these the public will gladly pay. The emphasis will be on the more expensive and important film."[4]
Casting
In August 1958 Rank announced they were to make a film version starring Peter Finch.[5] The following month it was reported the film would star Burl Ives and Finch.[6] Gilbert says the stars were going to be Finch as the tramp and Curt Jurgens as the sea captain, with Sylvia Syms as the school teacher. (A number of Rank movies had German stars around this time as the German market was seen as very important.[7]) Gilbert claims Finch then had "some sort of row" with John Davis who took Finch off the film. Davis saw Orson Welles in The Long Hot Summer and "fell in love with him" and insisted Welles star in the movie. Gilbert had already signed Jurgens to star in the film so Davis suggested he play the tramp.[3] The casting of Jurgens and Welles was announced in September.[8] Jurgen's fee was a reported £55,000.[9]
The original title was Night Ferry to Hong Kong. The movie had one of the largest budgets in the history of Rank.[10]
Shooting
Lewis Gilbert described Ferry to Hong Kong as "my nightmare film". Orson Welles, he said, "never cared about his fellow actors, never cared about the director". Gilbert says "everything was wrong with the film – principally Orson Welles".[11]
Orson Welles said he would only do the film if it was turned into a comedy. He said this led to clashes with Jurgens who played the material straight while Welles played it as a farce.[12] Gilbert says he knew the film was in trouble when he met Welles who told him the film was a comedy. He confirms Welles and Jurgens "hated each other", claiming Welles hated Jurgens because of his looks, popularity and the fact he was German, and thought Jurgens hated Welles because he was jealous of Welles' reputation. Gilbert says their poor relationship meant he had trouble getting the two stars in the same shot.[3]
Filming started 10 November 1958.[13] The film was shot entirely on location. In Hong Kong the production team bought a boat that could be converted into a paddle steamer and used local labour to build a full sized studio stage and crane for the CinemaScope camera. The film was shot with guide tracks and every line of dialogue was re-recorded and re-synched in Pinewood. Welles insisted on wearing a false nose and at one point held up filming for two days while he could find his nose.[2] Gilbert says Welles hated acteing and it was a "battle to get him on the floor" every day.[3]
Reception
The film received bad reviews in England and was a disaster at the box office.[2][10] Gilbert says the film "didn't do too badly" in France and Germany but flopped in England and America.[3]
Critical
The Los Angeles Times called it "a very funny comedy-drama".[14]
Variety said "the most fascinating aspect of this slice of meller-hokum is the way Orson Welles has clearly conned director Lewis Gilbert; Welles seems to have been allowed to write his own dialog and give his own interpretation of his role. He might just as well have taken, over direction. The result is a piece of hammy; over-acting which might have been fun for a few minutes. But, carried on for around two hours remorselessly, it becomes grotesque arid,; in the end a boring, caricature."[15]
Filmink called it "a complete turkey with Syms having to act her arse off to convince us that she’s attracted to sweaty, tubby Curt Jurgens."[16]
