The Long Voyage Home

 

 The Long Voyage Home originated as a series of plays by Eugene O’Neill, plays that originated around the First World War and were amongst his first written. These were later adapted by screenwriter Dudley Nichols into a singular film and updated to World War II to take advantage of the then current times. John Ford, who was just coming off his depression-era drama The Grapes of Wrath, helmed what would be his second Best Picture-nominated film of the year. The Long Voyage Home may have claimed that nomination spot, but it was only moderately reviewed at the time and is considered one of Ford’s lesser efforts. It also failed to ignite at the box office, losing money in its initial release. 

  

In the years since its release, it hasn’t fared much better. This is a movie that lacks any real hook to reel in audiences and instead presents a series of events that are not particularly interesting and a cast of characters that are only interesting because many of them would become major stars in their own right, some of which would be John Ford regulars for years to come. There are scenes in this film that stand out as great moments, but when looked at altogether, this is a film that just doesn’t gel as a whole and is a bit of a chore to sit through in a single go.

The film is about a British tramp steamer named the SS Glencairn and its journey from the West Indies to Baltimore, and then on to England during the early days of World War II. The crew is a fun-loving sort, prone to heavy drinking and fighting amongst themselves, and hiring women at whatever port they happen to be at to enhance their carousing. In an early scene, one such party erupts into a violent brawl after the women sneak booze aboard. This leads to the girls being kicked off the ship without pay for violating the no-alcohol rule. 

There is some descent amongst the ranks over carrying a cargo of explosives to England that is quelled somewhat by the captain. There is also paranoia amongst the seamen over the possibility of a spy in their ranks. This eventually builds up to a confrontation with crewman Smitty (Ian Hunter), who is quiet and secretive. This leads to perhaps the best scene in the entire film, when the men subdue Smitty and force open a secret box he has stowed away with his gear only to find it is filled with letters from his wife pleading for him to come home after he had, unbeknownst to his fellow crewmen, been court-martialed. As one crewman reads aloud the letters, believing them to be coded correspondence with the Germans, it slowly dawns on them all that that is not what this is at all and that they should be ashamed for forcing this private information out into the light.

This is a film that is not so much about an overarching narrative but about the characters themselves. The film is titled The Long Voyage Home because these men never seem to want that voyage to end, reenlisting on the ship each time it makes it back to England. The reasons behind these decisions are varied with the most interesting one being Smitty who is disgraced and court-martialed for being an alcoholic. He has lied to his wife over quitting the drink only to be seen drunk by a friend of hers while abroad. She pleads for him to return home but he is too afraid to confront her knowing he has failed at staying sober. 

Ole Olsen (John Wayne), a young Swedish ex-farmer, has not seen his family in ten years, preferring the ship life. When they all disembark towards the end of the film, his crewmates are determined to rectify that and help reunite him with his family. This falls by the wayside when they are unable to resist the temptation to go out drinking and partying at a seedy bar. Ole ends up nearly getting shanghaied by another ship, the Amindra, using the bar as a means to secure more crew. Ole’s mates rescue him off the Amindra, and all eventually sign back up for another trip on the Glencairn. 

This being a John Ford movie, the attention to detail is spot-on. This feels like being on an actual tramp steamer and not just on a soundstage in southern California. It’s sanitized, of course, thanks to the Hays Code, but other than that, this feels authentic to the setting. But a film needs more than authenticity to be successful, and The Long Voyage Home lacks any genuine excitement. There is also no romance plot at all, despite the misleading poster advertisement. This lack of a female supporting character is credited as a primary reason the film failed at the box office. Another major reason is a lack of focus, as this film feels like exactly what it was, a spliced-together group of plays, each with its own separate narratives. It doesn’t work as a whole and is ultimately an unsatisfying experience.

There is a lot of good stuff to be found here. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work as a whole and is more interesting to view now as an early display of some of the rising talent. John Wayne stands out, of course, because he has since become a legend of the movies. Alongside him is his frequent co-star, Ward Bond. Both of these men stand out, not because of what they are doing here but because of who they became later in their careers. Ultimately, while I didn’t feel like I wasted my time watching this film, I did feel that it will be forgettable amongst the slew of much better films to have been celebrated with the Outstanding Production Oscar nomination. 

Academy Award Nominations:

Outstanding Production: John Ford

Best Screenplay: Dudley Nichols

Best Cinematography - Black-and-White: Gregg Toland

Best Film Editing: Sherman Todd

Best Original Score: Richard Hageman

Best Special Effects: R. T. Layton, Ray Binger, and Thomas T. Moulton

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Release Date: October 8, 1940

Running Time: 105 Minutes

Not Rated

Starring: John Wayne, Thomas Mitchell, and Ian Hunter

Directed By: John Ford