The Sea Chase

(1955)

Action / Adventure / Drama / War

117 minutes

Directed by John Farrow

Cast:

Capt. Karl Ehrlich is a German captain of an aging freighter, The Ergenstrasse, just before the outbreak of World War II.  Karl has lost his commission for refusing to support the Nazi regime.  Currently stationed in an Australian port at Sydney, Karl is informed by his friend Jeff that the British are planning to intern the Ergenstrasse.  To prevent this Karl decides to sneak the ship out from under British control.  Upon orders of a German Consul-General Karl is force to take double agent Elsa out of Australia to protect her from being discovered.  Karl must evade the British ships sent to recover the Ergenstrasse, a task made more difficult by Karl’s first mate, who has allied himself with the Nazi party, and commits murder.  The British sailors, led by Karl’s former friend Jeff, discover the murder and redouble their efforts to capture the ship before it can reach Germany.  Karl must avoid capture and clear his good name, all the while resisting the temptations of Elsa. 

 
Notes:

The Sea Chase mirrors the real life adventures of the Erlangen, a German freighter that escapes from a New Zealand harbor, evading capture and eventually making it to Valparaiso, South America .

Just prior to shooting The Sea Chase, Wayne had developed an ear infection while scuba diving.  He could only be shot so that one side of his face was showing, due to the swelling around his ear, and had to go lie down between scenes.

Lana Turner was loaned to Warner Bros for the film by MGM.

The Sea Chase trailer