F. P. 1 Doesn't Answer

I was surprised that others commented that the technology presented here was impractical or immediately obsolete. FP 1 is really an aircraft carrier, stuck in the middle of the Atlantic, true, but looking mighty like an aircraft carrier to my untechnological eyes.

I haven't seen the German version, but for me the main attraction of this one was Conrad Veidt's role. He was very funny and charming, and dashing, too!

The story did seem to have some holes in it--I would have liked to pinpoint the emotional problem of Ellisen's disappearance,but even more certain technical points: that the rescue plane doesn't bring a radio or radio parts for the silenced station; that Ellisen's plane was seriously damaged after landing on FP 1 (? or did they use a junk plane to go get help because they knew it would have to be ditched?); exactly what happened to the diesel oil on FP 1, why there was no backup supply, and why any passing ship would have the required quantity to spare; what happened to that storm that necessitated opening the valves in the first place?

All the same, this was fun to watch.

Austrian director Karl Hartl assumes an enormous assignment at Berlin's UFA Studios: leading three separate casts in disparate language productions of Curt Siodmak's debut novel (listed as Slodmak on the screen credits), featuring Hans Albers (German), Charles Boyer (French) and Conrad Veidt (English), obviously a daunting task, but one that he manages to complete in an artistically successful manner. Although the plot is raimented with the trappings of science fiction, it is in fact a romance flavoured by shadowy industrial espionage, with "F.P.1" being a prototypical floating platform destined to serve as a re-fueling depot in mid-Atlantic waters for international aircraft, constructed by London's Lennartz Shipyard firm, of which young Claire Lennartz (Jill Esmond) is one-third owner. Claire is attracted to, and desired by, two men, Captain Droste (Leslie Fenton), the designer of the seaborne aerodrome, and Major Ellisson (Veidt), a renowned test pilot, and the melodramatic complications of this love triangle form the heart of a work that was a financial success upon its release with its depiction of construction efforts for a gigantic landing platform accurately forecasting military aircraft carriers. It is instructive to view the three versions in succession to discover how the players adapt their roles to their personalities, with the English language release arguably the best, despite an unfortunate loss of a great deal of footage over the years, including Veidt's moving singspiel "Where the Lighthouse Shines Across the Bay"; however, the direction, camera-work, creative sets, as well as the spirited performing of Veidt and Esmond provide a goodly amount of pleasure.

Films with the theme of transatlantic transportation were quite common in this era.I can think of High Treason and The Tunnel.Additionally films made in two or three language versions were quite common.The acting of Conrad Veidt overpowers everyone else.

I had a video of the thing. And I think it was my fourth attempt that I managed to watch the whole film without drifting off to sleep. It's slow-moving, and the idea of a mid-Atlantic platform, which may have been revolutionary at the time, is now just a great big yawnaroony. Apart from Conrad Veidt, the rest of the cast are pretty forgettable, and it is only in the action towards the end that things get really interesting. When the water started to spill big-time it even, on one occasion, woke me up.

But give the man his due. No one could hold a cigarette like Conrad Veidt. He doesn't wedge it between his index and middle fingers like the lesser mortals. He holds it in his fingers, while showing us the old pearly-browns. There are a few scenes in this film where the smoke drifts up to heaven against a dark background,and looks very artistically done. But it does not say much about this film if all that impresses you is the tobacco smoke.

This is a remarkable film, made with a huge budget. F.P.1 stands for 'Floating Platform' One. It is a floating island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean for transatlantic aircraft to land on and refuel. It therefore foreshadows the naval aircraft carriers of the coming world war. Conrad Veidt is extraordinarily convincing, with the mad recklessness of a man addicted to dangerous adventures, but also with the lonely pathos which this brings him personally. It is one of his finer roles. The imaginative sweep of this semi-sci fi story is remarkable for the 1930s. It is a pity that the film is not better known. I have not seen the German or French versions, but this one is superb. One of the most haunting shots in the film is of a lengthy corridor full of men who have been gassed and are lying unconscious. No expense was spared to make this a big production. However, the producers should have realized that films with initials in their titles do not 'click' at the box office, give no hint to anyone what they are about (except to those familiar with this novel already), and no one could imagine what F.P.1 could stand for until they had seen the film! As a milestone in the history of the cinema, this strange and wildly ambitious film should not be overlooked.