Plymouth Adventure (1952)

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

I had never heard of this flick and tuned to it (thank you, Turner Classic Movies) primarily because of the presence of the great Spencer Tracy and one of my favorite character actors, Van Johnson, whose acting skills I find vastly underrated. I was not disappointed, and I was surprised to read the many disparaging comments here. I cannot speak for historical accuracy but I found the story gripping and the script very well written. Tracy reminds us again of the reason he is regarded as one the greatest actors of his generation. No doubt that the love interest between him and Bradford's wife is probably apocryphal, and was inserted to fulfill Hollywood's requirement for a romantic angle, but so what? Leaving that aside the movie is a pretty engrossing depiction of the trials and travails of the Pilgrims, although the conditions on their actual voyage were probably a lot grimmer than Hollywood could politely depict in those days. All in all a very worthwhile effort and well worth seeing.

Short on adventure and long on talkiness, this 1952 big-budget release from MGM sinks faster than you can say "Mayflower." Yes, one of the most famous of famous ships is the main character, and it's only slightly more wooden than the cast that climbs aboard and ventures to the new world. That cast is led by perennial grump Spencer Tracy, who commands the ship and hates all the passengers, until their goody-goodness and preaching about God and opportunity makes him see the error of his ways. Leo Genn gives the film's best performance as the passenger with the best oratorical skills. He also happens to be married to Gene Tierney, who's given absolutely nothing to do until she gets to commit suicide, probably to escape from the boredom of the film, in a plot twist that makes absolutely no sense since nothing was done by the screenplay up to that point to establish it.Speaking of the screenplay, the writers must have been paid by the word, because this particular group of passengers talk a LOT about all the things that aren't interesting, while few of the things that would be interesting about a story like this never happen. The film got the lavish Technicolor treatment from MGM and a sea storm garnered it an Oscar for Best Special Effects, but even if the pilgrims themselves were not dead on arrival, the movie certainly is.Grade: C-

It tells the Mayflower odyssey , it was the ship that transported the first English Separatists , known today as the Pilgrims , from Plymouth to the New World in 1620 , a very dangerous voyage carried out by a brave passenger list that made the 96-day storm-filled crossing . There were 102 passengers , the majority of them becoming the settlers of Plymouth Colony in what is now Massachusetts and the crew is estimated to have been about 30, but the exact number is unknown . The pilgrims are looking for a land where they can worship according to their beliefs . Captained by Captain Christopher Jones (Spencer Tracy) who piloted and helped the valiant pilgrims , he stayed at the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts , waiting for favorable weather to return home to England on the "Mayflower" . This voyage has become an iconic story in some of the earliest annals of American history , with its story of death and of survival in the harsh New England winter environment . About half of these emigrants died in the first Winter . Many Americans can trace their ancestry back to one or more of these individuals who, 'Saints' and 'Strangers' together, would become known as the Pilgrims . Thirteen of the eighteen servants listed were attached to Leiden families, the other five were families who boarded in London . Four of those travelers listed were small children , to be classed as indentured servants . Other notorious pilgrims were John Alden (Van Johnson) , William Bradford (Leo Genn) , Gilbert Winslow (John Dehner) , Edward Winslow (Lowell Gilmore) , and William Brewster (Barry Jones) . Luckily , it took place the culmination of the voyage in the signing of the Mayflower Compact was an event which established a rudimentary form of democracy, with each member contributing to the welfare of the community . The Native Americans living in the area , the Patuxet, were totally wiped out by a series of epidemics between 1616-1619 caught from English fishermen who landed regularly in the area . Indian tribes ran away and fell ill , and then the colonialists built in the cleared area where the Indian village stood and utilized the cleared farm land that the tribe had abandoned . However , actually , after landing in Massachusetts , the colonists tried three times to sail southward to Virginia, but was driven back by storms .Interesting historical film about the famous feat based on the novel by Ernest Gebler with screenplay by Helen Deutsch , describing trials and tribulations of the risked sea journey , a fundamental event in American history . It packs emotion , drama , love stories and historical happenings . Very good cast plenty of familiar Hollywood faces as Spencer Tracy who has an ill-starred romance with the wife of a religious fanatic well played by Gene Tierney , both of whom had an affair that lasted for the duration of filming . Support cast is frankly excellent , such as : Leo Genn , John Dehner , Barry Jones , Dawn Addams , Lloyd Bridges , Paul Cavanagh and Van Johnson , though filmmaker Clarence Brown later said casting him was a huge mistake . In addition , other uncredited players : John Dierkes , John Alderson , Murray Matheson and Rhys Williams . The film is well based on historical events , though including some fictitious incidents ; as Dorothy Bradford did indeed fall overboard and was drowned while husband William was exploring for a site for the establishment of Plymouth . For once , the colonists are correctly shown building framed houses, and not log cabins as is commonly supposed . Decent production design by prolific Cedric Gibbons , though most film is set on the vessel , being some claustrophobic . Colorful cinematography in Technicolor by William Daniels , Greta Garbo's regular cameraman . Evocative and thrilling musical score by Miklos Rozsa .The motion picture nicely produced by Dore Schary was professionally directed - though with no enthusiasm- by Clarence Brown . Clarence studied and learned with French director Maurice Tourneur . He directed several actors in Oscar-nominated performances. During his career Brown directed or produced more than 50 widely-acclaimed full-length films , many during his long association with prestigious MGM and worked with many of the industry's most illustrious performers . Clarence got a lot of successes , such as : Anna Karenina , Maria Walewska , Intruder in the dust , The yearling , National velvet , Song of Love , among others .

A fascinating historical drama, but in typical Hollywood fashion, incorporating a frustrating(for the historical purist) blend of meticulous historical fact and pure fabrication. Actually, Hollywood was not primarily responsible for the plot fabrications,as the film was based upon the then recent novel of the same title by Ernest Gebler. In contradiction to some reviewers, I consider this Spencer Tracy's greatest characterization, albeit a superficially negative one. All the major characters were well cast, even if Gene Tierney made an unlikely beautiful Dorothy Bradford, whom Tracy, as Captain Christopher Jones, lusted after. Some object that Dorothy could not have found Jones romantically attractive, being old, very grumpy, and contemptuous of the colonists. I sensed that it was more a case of pity on her part, and may have included some dissatisfaction with her husband and hope that she could charm Jones into not leaving for England until spring. Without the ship as a sanctuary until the colonists built adequate housing, they surely would all perish from exposure and starvation. Dorothy presumably felt that this divided loyalty between two men was an unforgivable sin or an unsolvable problem, necessitating her death. Would Jones have stayed with the colonists overwinter, had she not presumably killed herself? I doubt it. It was her sacrificial death that shortly preceded his changed attitude toward the colonists.John Aldren's flirtation with the comely teen Dawn Addams has possible historical accuracy, as they would eventually marry....Lloyd Bridges is great as Jone's piratical-looking swarthy first mate and enforcer, ready to lead a mutiny when Jones inexplicably decided to stay the winter with the colonists.The long episode of the severe storm is quite riveting. The bit about a large passenger screw being used to help support a cracked beam is historically true....Actually, it was another passenger, not William Brewster, who was washed overboard during a storm. Making it Brewster added to the drama with Jones over Dorothy.The screen writer presumably followed Gebler in exploiting several common myths to add important fictional plot components. Thus, the implication that the initial landing near Cape Cod instead of the targeted Chesapeake region was a planned conspiracy by financial backers, with the cooperation of Jones, is an unnecessary clear fabrication, if adding to the frictional drama between the colonists and Jones. In contrast to common myth, the agreed upon target was the present NYC area, which was included in the Virginia Charter of the times, not the present state of Virginia! Most of the Separatist colonists had recently been living in Holland, and had heard good reports of this area from the Dutch. After making landfall in the Cape Cod area due to repeated storms, the Mayflower made an attempt to sail south to this area, but weather and current difficulties, along with the storm-battered condition of the Mayflower, caused them to return to their original landing area. Of course, the Dutch would soon begin settlements in the NYC-Hudson area.The central love/hate triangle between Jones, William and Dorothy Bradford has no historical support, if much adding to the drama. Dorothy did die of drowning after disappearing from the Mayflower soon after it docked along Cape Cod. However, there is no clear reason to believe it was a suicide rather than accidental.This accusation originates from a mid-19th century fictional magazine story, presumably repeated in Gebler's novel(which I haven't read).The characterization of Captain Jones as a disagreeable extreme world-weary cynic has no historical support. There are, however, several historical facts or misconceptions that might lend some credence to this characterization. He had fathered 10 children, most of whom had died as infants or small children. Secondly, during the 19th century, it was thought that the captain was one Thomas Jones: a sometimes pirate and slave trader, thus presumably a rather rough cynical character. This might also lend credence to the rather piratical charisma of the first mate, Mr.Coppin, a genuine historical name. Thirdly, there was a seaman who repeatedly belittled the colonists as having no chance of surviving this voyage or their desired destination. Interestingly, this seaman was one of only two to die during the voyage! Surprisingly, this seaman is not included in the film story, hence probably was incorporated into the Captain's character.Some reviewers think Tracy was too old for the part of Captain Jones. Well, the real Jones was only 2 years younger and died only a year after returning to England..Incidentally, his return trip took only 1 month compared to the more than 2 months getting to Cape Cod. This shows the influence of favorable winds, the Gulf Stream, and generally fewer storms in spring.