LAWRENCE TIERNEY FOUGHT DIX ON LEWTON'S 'THE GHOST SHIP'

Title: THE GHOST SHIP Year: 1943 Rating: ***1/2

A dark, atmospheric Val Lewton production using RKO's fog-shrouded KING KONG ship (literally in one shot) now captained by subtly manipulative Richard Dix, who takes new 3rd Officer Russell Wade under his philosophizing wing... 

Right before crew members die mysteriously on the GHOST SHIP... the most recognizable being wise guy Lawrence Tierney, who Dix posthumously describes as "a sea lawyer full of windy complaints, seasoned with bad comedy.”  

Richard Dix plays the Blye in GHOST SHIP

And when the kid catches on, trying to get the Captain's faithful, borderline brainwashed crew on his side, he hasn't got a prayer, turning THE GHOST SHIP into a kind of reverse CAINE MUTINY and, after the deadly body count leads to a quick trial, things slow down considerably...

But it's that gloomy ship's setting backed by Mark Robson's slowburn direction that provides an aura of lurking evil. Added to that a creepy narration by a mute sailor whose foreboding whispers (a sort of Grim Reaper with a guilty conscious) adds to what's really more noir than horror. Which can be said of all Lewton's better work. 

Lawrence Tierney as Louie Parker in THE GHOST SHIP

 Skelton Knaggs narrates THE GHOST SHIP

Lawrence Tierney as Louie Parker in THE GHOST SHIP

Lawrence Tierney as Louie Parker in THE GHOST SHIP

Footage of KING KONG in THE GHOST SHIP

Edmund Glover and Russell Wade in THE GHOST SHIP

 Skelton Knaggs narrates THE GHOST SHIP

Russell Wade and Richard Dix in THE GHOST SHIP

Lewton regular Dewey Robinson in THE GHOST SHIP

Mark Robon directs THE GHOST SHIP

Richard Dix in THE GHOST SHIP

Lawrence Tierney as Louie Parker in THE GHOST SHIP

Lawrence Tierney as Louie Parker in THE GHOST SHIP

Opening Title Card from THE GHOST SHIP

Richard Dix aka Dick Dix from THE GHOST SHIP

Richard Dix aka Dick Dix from THE GHOST SHIP

Lawrence Tierney as Louie Parker in THE GHOST SHIP

Lewton regular Dewey Robinson from THE GHOST SHIP

Lawrence Tierney as Louie Parker in THE GHOST SHIP

 Skelton Knaggs narrates THE GHOST SHIP

Lawrence Tierney death scene from THE GHOST SHIP

Lawrence Tierney death scene from THE GHOST SHIP

Lawrence Tierney death scene from THE GHOST SHIP

Lawrence Tierney death scene from THE GHOST SHIP

Lawrence Tierney death scene from THE GHOST SHIP

Lawrence Tierney death scene from THE GHOST SHIP

The End for THE GHOST SHIP

From THE GHOST SHIP

From THE GHOST SHIP

From THE GHOST SHIP

From THE GHOST SHIP

Ghost Ship poster on League of their Own series