Deep Waters

With the exception of the Hollywood sound stage segments, exteriors for this movie were shot on location in Vinalhaven, ME.

Some of the locals were also used as extras in the background.

My father "temped" for 20th Century Fox during the production. He drove a equipment truck to the different set locations on the island.

The equipment had to come by barge as the local ferry was way too small to handle all the equipment needed by the studio.

I don't believe this movie has been out of the vault for many years. It used to play on late night TV back in the 60's. As I remember it, there's really no reason to bring it back.

Dana Andrews is "Hod" - a professional architect who much prefers his life as a lobster fisherman. This causes a bit of hassle with his fiancée "Ann" (Jean Peters), who is worried about the dangers of this maritime career. She is a social worker, and when she brings the young orphan "Donny" (Dean Stockwell) to hopefully find a permanent home in their small Maine town, the boy and "Hod" - and his colleague "Joe" (Cesar Romero) become fast friends. Henry King has created a good framework for this well paced and engaging story that takes a sensitive look at a young boy looking for roots, whilst offering us a gently simmering, lively, romance with some characterful performances - including the usually reliable Anne Revere ("Mary"). The last ten minutes are quite an exciting watch - the back-shot storm sequence is quite well integrated into the action, and folks gets well and truly soaked!

Originally filmed in sepiatone, its big feature is the Maine photography. A somewhat simplistic, yet touching story of an orphan (Stockwell), who gets into trouble, but the town old maid (Revere) comes to the rescue, along with the help of a pair of on/off lovers (Andrews/Peters. A very nice resolution, low key, except for a storm sequence. The music is terrific. Century

Deep Waters which stars Dana Andrews and Jean Peters is a modest story with some special effects that earned the film an Oscar nomination. But for that the film would probably be forgotten today save for its one surviving cast member Dean Stockwell.

Peters is a social worker who comes from a Maine lobster fishing family who lost her father at sea. Stockwell is an orphan who lost his father and uncle at sea. Dana Andrews is a lobster fisherman who takes a liking to the troubled kid.

For reasons having to do with her own issues on the subject Peters places Stockwell in foster care in places that are nowhere near the sea. Running out of them she places him with Anne Revere as a foster mother. Still Stockwell wants to go to sea, it's in his blood and when he doesn't get his way he acts out in ways that will send him to reform school.

I don't think you need a road map to see where this film is going. The special effects of the storm at sea where Andrews and partner Cesar Romero rescue Stockwell are nice and the film's exteriors are done on the Maine coast. Cesar Romero had an interesting character in the Portugese fishing partner of Andrews, shades of Captains Courageous. I wish we had more of him in the film.

Deep Waters is a modest film that kids may like, but can be safely passed over by adults if they're not fans of any of the cast.

Director Henry King continues to impress me. Having recently watched films of his as diverse as THE BRAVADOS, CAROUSEL, REMEMBER THE DAY, in DEEP WATERS I found yet another specimen of the director's versatility and expertise.

Shot in lovely B&W off the Maine seashore, DEEP WATERS contains some very realistic footage of action at sea, further enhanced by Dana Andrews and Romero looking very professional and knowledgeable as they handle boats, lobsters, and bad weather with consummate ease.

In fact, Andrews was at the top of his powers here, and this seems like a small film for such a great actor, but he goes about it manfully and wholeheartedly, and delivers a superb performance that brims with honesty.

Romero also does well as his Portuguese help who wants to turn to farming, or to mink or rabbit rearing, instead. In contrast, young Roddy McDowall likes the sea like his late father and uncle. However, he is under the charge of beautiful Jean Peters, who does not want the youngster to go to sea because of the dangers therein. Another spanner in the works is that the film opens with Peters and Andrews breaking off their engagement but clearly still feeling deeply for each other... and the wonderful Anne Revere as the no-nonsense boy's foster carer - a truly great short role.

Wonderful cinematography and editing. Well worth a watch. 7/10.