Steineded How sad is this?

TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Livestonth I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

bigverybadtom A man in a North African city is taken before a firing squad. On the ship "Golden Fleece", docked at the port, the ship's crew are grimly waiting as a civilian pushes his way in. The man is the captain's uncle, and the ship's first mate (I assume) tells the man that the man being executed is the ship's captain, and the uncle asks why, so the first mate explains.The Golden Fleece is a ferry ship regularly sailing between Gibraltar and this North African city, and its captain was married to two wives: one in the city who is a dancer who always has fun, goes dancing, and eats out all the time, and a British wife in Gibraltar who is a dutiful housewife who stays at home and does domestic chores. The captain had the two wives with the idea that he could enjoy the characteristics of both kinds in each of his homes. The wives do not know of each other, and the captain gives presents to each of his wives to suit their respective lifestyles. Then one day, the captain mixes up the presents and the party girl wife gets an apron while the housewife gets a swimsuit. Then things start falling apart.The movie begins with a light, farcical tone, but as it goes on, the mood darkens as the wives become dissatisfied with their respective marriages and the captain tries and fails to keep them in the roles he wants them to play-and becomes truly dark as we find that this supposedly charming and genial captain really is not.Not recommended if you want a happy movie.

Alex da Silva Captain St. James (Alec Guiness) is put against a wall to be shot by a firing squad in Morroco. His uncle Lawrence (Miles Malleson) wants to know why (and is very irritating in his delivery) and is told the story by Ricco (Charles Goldner). It's a tale of bigamy - Captain St. James has a wife Maud (Celia Johnson) in Gibralter and a mistress Nita (Yvonne De Carlo) in Morroco and he captains his passenger ship between these two destinations.This film is OK while you're watching it, although it is quite annoying at the beginning when we have to hear "Hello capitane" spoken by everyone that Guiness encounters. He's just so popular and everyone loves him......yuk!....puke!..... If you are an Alec Guiness fan, you will like the film. I think he looks a bit weird and is slightly unconvincing in his role as a wild, dancing party-goer. Celia Johnson is irritating and equally unconvincing as a dancing party-babe. There is a moment where the film could get rather more interesting near the end when the 2 women meet each other not realizing who they are. It fizzles out and there is never any real suspense in the film.The film does have some funny moments - watch how Guiness convinces De Carlo that cooking will destroy her and make her fat and ugly, and there is a nice touch with the photo above his bed on the ship which he can switch between mistress and wife depending on who he is sailing to meet. There is also a funny moment when Goldner is forced to spontaneously play along with the deception when he meets Celia Johnson for the first time and realizes that she is the wife. Apart from that, the film chugs along.However, what exactly is the crime that Guiness is being executed for? We have to assume that he has been caught as a bigamist and this is illegal on penalty of death. The story suddenly stops and the film ends - very poor resolution. The cast somehow all manage to be slightly irritating with the exception of Yvonne De Carlo. This is a vehicle for Alec Guiness to play a scoundrel and the ending is not surprising.

Reb9 For some reason I had never gotten around to seeing this film. Unusual for me since I have been a Guiness fan for many years. Now I find that I am rather sorry I bothered. It fails completely as comedy and can only have been reviewed favorably at the time of it's release due to the performances -- all good in a poor cause! The problem begins with a screen play that is strained at every turn. The major flaw is that the Guiness character is a totally unlikable sort. A selfish, petty little man who uses people with little care for them. Not even the great Alec Guiness can manage to make this fellow one that we give two hoots in hell about. The film suffers further from one of the very worst musical scores I have ever heard. It is loud, frantic, intrusive, and very ugly. In the final analysis this is one of the most tedious films I have ever sat through (and I love movies and have seen many in my seventy plus years). I note that a number of those commenting have attributed this film to Ealing Studios. It isn't. It was produced by London Productions (see the details on the main page for this film). For those of you who are fans of Sir Alec Guiness's work and who have not seen this film, my advice is to skip it. Watching it will simply disappoint you.

blanche-2 Alec Guinness lives "The Captain's Paradise" in this 1953 Ealing light comedy. Guinness plays the captain of a ferry going from the British colony of Gibraltor to Spanish Morocco, who, according to his chief officer Ricco (Charles Goldner), has found the recipe for true happiness. He is, so sayeth the officer, a genius.His recipe is a simple one, and as we have learned recently, with the news of Charles Lindbergh having another family in Germany, and the book "Pilot" - it's more common that we knew. The captain, Henry St. James, has a wife in each port. Celia Johnson is his British wife, a homemaker and excellent cook. The two lead an orderly life - in bed by 10, and when he comes home, he brings her a gift for the household. His Moroccan wife, who calls him "Jimmy," is Yvonne DeCarlo. She's sexy, a dancer who loves the nightlife. The two drink champagne, take moonlight swims, and go dancing.Of course, as time goes on, problems ensue. For one thing, the women become bored with their roles.A very funny film, with an interesting message about roles and how, as people grow older, they want to take on different ones.Guinness is excellent as the happy and then frustrated man in their lives. The best scene, though, is Celia Johnson dancing with her cousin Bob (Walter Crisham) - hilarious.Highly recommended