Sealed Cargo

This film is great for the era it was filmed in! The cast is awesome, with Dana Andrews and Claude Rains as the two main characters. I liked it, and had never seen it before the "Memorial Day" War movie weekend on TCM. This film will have you guessing and once you think you have it figured out, __________________!!! I liked it and I usually get tired of the same old..... but, this is a good movie. I recommend viewing this film even if you aren't a WAR film buff. It has an element of film noir, lighting and spooky, lots of tension. Keep an open mind. Watch it! You might learn some things you didn't know. I sure did! This film is good viewing, great special effects, remember it was in the 50's so don't confuse it with any of the special effects that are available now. I don't especially like WAR films, but this is not just a 'shoot everyone, ask questions later' type of film. Quite enjoyable!

In 1943, Capt. Pat Banyon (Dana Andrews) runs a small fishing boat in Gloucester, Mass. Margaret McLean (Carla Balenda) hires him to take her home to a small Newfoundland village. They encounter a heavily damaged Danish schooner after some gunfire. Capt. Skalder (Claude Rains) is the sole survivor from an U-boat attack. It's a fine war thriller. I would push the reveal a little later but this works fine. Dana Andrews is a fine chiseled jaw leading man and there is nobody better than Claude Rains.

It was just on tv yesterday. Quite well cast and acted, and a good storyline too. A couple of gaping holes in the script (do trawlers fish singly?) but not entirely implausible. Apart from the female lead wearing a white coat and a white sweater on a fishing boat, and it staying white.

Dana Andrews, Claude Rains, Philip Dorn, and Carla Balenda star in "Sealed Cargo" from 1951.

Andrews plays a fishing boat captain, Pat Banyon. A woman (Balenda) begs for passage to her hometown - even though there really isn't room for her, Banyon agrees to take her.

After fighting an awful storm, Banyon and his team spot a ship that looks abandoned. They are cautious, since it's wartime, and it could be an enemy ship.

They do find one man on board, Captain Skalder (Rains) and learn that it is a Dutch ship. Skalder says that a German u-boat attacked the vessel. The crew abandoned ship or were killed.

Banyon says he will tow the ship back to port. However, the saga is far from over.

Like other reviewers, I'm surprised this RKO film didn't get more attention. It's atmospheric, suspenseful, and the end is extremely exciting. I would say the one drawback is throwing in a romance angle. Unnecessary.

If you get a chance, catch this one.

Makes me wonder why this mini classic is not better known. This marvelous tale of the Sea, not only offers very good performances by Claude Rains, Dana Andrews, and Philip Dorn, but is based on an intriguing novel "The Gaunt Woman" by Edmund Gilligan. The Screenplay receives fine treatment, with plenty of suspense by Dale Van Every (A.K.F. that other great Sea Classic: "Captains Courageous") It's the eerie look of the film thats the real star. Great, moody B/W Cinematography by George E. Diskant who gave us those fine Noir images in several other RKO features: "The Narrow Margin" - "Riffraff" - "They Live By Night" and "On Dangerous Ground". Some neat special effects also help lift the tension as it moves along.

Combined with the evocative Direction of Award Winner: Alfred Werker ("He Walked by Night" - "Lost Boundaries") 'Sealed Cargo' is packed with viewing enjoyment, filled with mystic shots (in dense fog at sea) during the dangerous days of WW11. This tale will keep any not overly demanding viewer very happily occupied for its nicely paced 90mins. Pretty Carla Balenda ("Hunt the Man Down" and much on TV) supplies the female interests and carries it off with likable style. While it's set in wartime, you would not call this a 'war' film.

RKO sure knew how to entertain audiences with a wide range of assorted themes throughout the 30's - 50's. Both Werker and Diskant went on to give some of the better shows of B/W Television their look and feel, creating a stylized look on small budgets.

Seems 'Cargo' is rarely shown, so well worth looking for. Some TV Prints are not so good, being from old CC Movietime copies, so look for a true RKO print if you can.