The Sea Shall Not Have Them

source: The Sea Shall Not Have Them

The Sea Shall Not Have Them

THE SEA SHALL NOT HAVE THEM is a well-regarded WW2 film of the 1950s which plays out in a different style to the norm. There's no combat here, just a tale of survival at sea and a look at the work of the rarely-acknowledge air sea rescue service run by the RAF to rescue pilots who were forced to down their planes in the ocean. This is a literate, character-based drama in which suspense evolves in watching how each of the characters reacts to their situation. There's a whole host of British characters present, from the biggest of big names like Dirk Bogarde and Michael Redgrave, to those reliable stalwarts of the B-movie, Michael Balfour and Michael Ripper. Everything comes together nicely come the end.

Survivors from a crashed aircraft including a commodore holding top secret information (Redgrave) are adrift in the North Sea in a small dinghy. There only hope is the Air Sea Rescue service and Anthony Steele and his crew of likely British character actors set out to find them. Enjoyable enough adventure which is at its best when focussing on the crew of the rescue boat, whilst the more intense dinghy, will they, won't they scenes are a little dull and repetitive. It's a solid British cast of familiar faces all nicely type cast as frightfully stiff upper lip upper or 'cor blimey guvnor' lower classes facing every conceivable mishap on the way, helped especially by Nigel Patrick, spot on as the tough but likeable flight sergeant and Anthony Steele as the man in charge.

When much was made of the R.A.F.Squadrons flying countless missions against the enemy, and rightly so, it is refreshing that `The Sea Shall Not Have Them' shows the work done by the R.A.F. Air Sea Rescue crews. Anthony Steel plays the skipper of 2561, a M.T.B. assigned to locate and rescue a Hudson bomber that has crash landed in the north sea. On board the plane along with the rest of the crew, is a V.I.P. with vital German rocket secrets. The film then follows two strands, one showing the air crew ( including a young Dirk Bogarde) slowly freezing on the escape dingy, and the M.T.B. crew fighting bad weather, engine failure, and in one incredible scene, a new crew member sets fire to the galley. The ending although predictable ,is nevertheless gripping, and the film will rank along ,with the best of the war movies made in the 50's.

Just a little note to add some local interest to this excellent movie - the action takes place at an unnamed Air Sea Rescue station - I am sure most of the interior shots were taken in the studios but the exteriors are from Felixstowe where there really was a real life A/S Rescue station during WWII. The German guns were actually at Landguard Fort, which was just around the spit or point from the A/S Rescue station itself. The shots of the railroad station are likewise taken in what was then Felixstowe Town station. The area where the A/S Rescue station was is now part of the Container Port and I am sure nothing remains of the hangars and docks, but Landguard Fort is still there, minus the guns.

As far as i am aware there are really only 2 British films about Air-Sea rescue ,this film and For Those In Peril.I believe that the earlier film is superior not just because it stars David Farrar who is far better than Anthony Steel,but it has a far more realistic feel.This film is hurt by its inept process work.Nearly every scene featuring Anthony Steel and most of those in the dinghy are clearly shot either on a sound stage or the studio tank and in my view this severely detracts from the realistic feel the film needs to impart.Also at the climax we have the rather strange effect of the boat being shrouded in fog and then in a blazing sun.Quite odd.We have all the usual banter of the lower ranks with some fine performances from a great cast.Incidentally Bonar Cellano who plays an airman and Michael Balfour ,an engineer,were great friends in real life.Alas they had a car crash,Balfour survived but Cellano did not/A real loss to the British cinema as he had made his home here.