The Sea Wolf (1941)

With nearly a quarter hour of footage not seen since it was cut for a 1947 theatrical rerelease, this restoration of "The Sea Wolf" is worth every dime of its cost. It's not Jack London, but it's wonderful: great performances all around by Robinson, Garfield, and Lupino and the remarkable supporting cast; an opportunity to spend a bit of time on Warner Brothers" iconic Stage 21, originally built for Flynn's "The Sea Hawk" (indeed on a re-dressed full sized ship from that film doubling for Robinson's "Ghost") and an absolutely unique musical score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. So what's here that isn't in the roughly 90 minute version that has been a staple of television and TCM in particular for many decades? We gain the mysterioso foggy opening of Garfield being pursued through the Frisco waterfront; added scenes of Knox's awakening on the "Ghost"; a notably callous committal service for a deceased first mate; added dialogue throughout the film, including an extended Lupino/Robinson scene in which she expresses her willingness to prostitute herself to him to avoid being returned to Frisco; an attempted suicide by Lupino as she and Garfield flee the "Ghost" in one of the seal-hunters' boats. Even Robinson's closing speech to Alexander Knox is longer. And underneath it all Korngold weaves his magic with a score that was re-recorded by Rumon Gamba for Chandos and even better exists nearly complete as originally conducted by Korngold himself on the Film Score Monthly Golden Age Classic release from 2007. The visuals and sound are immaculate; even the trailer is included. Don't miss this one!

The long wait for this classic was well worth it. For some reason, "The Sea Wolf" never made it to VHS (that I know of) and had appeared on DVD only in an undesirable, heavily cut, wrong-aspect Spanish version. When I was young, it was on TV every once in a while, but never in its full 100-minute form. (Because TV stations wanted movies that could, with commercials, fit evenly into slots of 60, 90, or 120 minutes, the studios supplied versions in which anything not crucial to the plot was often excised. In "The Sea Wolf," these included scenes of the alcoholic physician trying to recover some self-esteem, of the lead-up to the blood transfusion that saved Ida Lupino, and of the time in the dinghy during the attempted escape.) It's great to have the high definition of Blu Ray, but even more important is the restoration of the 16 minutes that, before now, were known only to people who had attended a theater showing three quarters of a century ago. Those 16 minutes supply background, develop characters, and clarify otherwise inexplicable dialog that occurs later. Those who appreciate fine acting will also enjoy this movie. Instead of the quick cuts among short lines from talking heads who are simply spouting from a page of script, we are treated to long scenes that demand the intelligence and skills of real actors, and of those "The Sea Wolf" has an abundance: Edward G. Robinson, John Garfield, Ida Lupino, Barry Fitzgerald, Alexander Knox, Gene Lockhart, and even the lesser-known Stanley Ridges, whose film resume includes high-quality performances in a variety of roles. This release is a real treasure.

I liked the dialog the most. The mechanics of sailing and the costume changes I liked least but along with the supposed fight scenes were hilarious.Okay, here is a great study of how different films are today versus in 1940. Sorry to be picky butIda jumps into the SF Bay to escape two cops chasing her. She is later brought aboard the Ghost dripping wet in the clothes on her back. Yet after the Dr. revives here she appears on deck having located the ship's laundry,looking cover girl dressed perfect, not to mention the hair salon, same think. How did that happen?Leach knocks on her cabin door and she answers wearing an nightgown.Where did the nightgown come from ?Robinson will punch the writer hard in the gut and then resume a parlor room conversation with him. This unrealistic set up appears numerous times in the film.Stage drama requires the audience to accept some compromise but this sailing ship never heels. Indeed it seems to be on auto pilot as all the sailors mill around the deck in conversation with the captain.Oh and the official story about seal hunting, where is the equipment to render the seal into something?And if we are going to steal from our brother, who is tracking the brother's ship?And how in the middle of the Pacific does the brother find the Ghost?And what is the source of income for this vessel?Oh well, pick pick pick, Idid enjoy the exchanges between Robinson and the writer, this was prelude to Robinson in Key Largo,what is it that Rocko wants, More, yeah paper boy, more, more....the more interesting story might be how Lupino and Garfield find a new life on a small island in the Pacific

It is good

In my opinion I think this is one of E.G.Robinsons best proformances.

Edward g Robinson fan the last movie I saw him in was Soylent Green had an incredible career prior to that and never heard of this particular movie so I had to see it so I purchased it times were different back then when the movie was made so you have to be able to appreciate the mindset then

I watched this movie for my Sociology 1000 class. Interesting movie. Good acting.

För den som gillar Edward G. Robinson är den här filmen ett "måste-köp"! Han förknippas annars mest med gangsterroller. Här är han brilliant som den mycket osympatiske kaptenen Wolf Larsen! Filmen är från 1941 och gjordes under Hollywoods storhetstid, men låt inte filmens ålder avskräcka från köp. Blu-ray-utgåvan håller hög bildkvalitet. Hela filmen är både dramatisk, actionfylld och underhållande på samma gång. Rollistan är förutom Robinson väldigt intressant med många imponerande skådespelare. Rekommenderas varmt!

Soberbia película dramática con interpretaciones inolvidables (en especial un inmenso Edward G. Robinson) y una dirección intensa y muy dinámica de Michael Curtiz. Para disfrutar una y otra vez.La calidad de la imagen es alta para ser una película rodada en 1941, aunque se aprecian algunos parásitos y una definición a veces mejorable. De todas formas, como la mayoría de películas del catálogo Warner, pasa el examen con buena nota.El sonido es bueno (obviamente, considerando la edad de la grabación) en la versión original en inglés. El doblaje castellano es el realizado para el pase televisivo y, como suele suceder en estos casos, un tanto plano y falto de matices. Además la pista de efectos y la banda sonora de Erich Wolfgang Korngold se aprecian manipuladas. Si se quiere disfrutar la estupenda música dramática de Korngold en su integridad, la única manera es visionando la película en versión original.La edición en DVD es magra como ella sola. Ni siquiera ofrece un menú para seleccionar idiomas y subtítulos, sino sólo uno genérico donde se selecciona ver la película en versión española o en V.O.S. (eso sí, desde el mando a distancia se puede cambiar el idioma, así como quitar o poner los subtítulos sin necesidad de detener la película). "El lobo de mar" es un film tan bueno, que realmente no necesita ningún tipo de material extra, aunque el trailer o alguna cosilla por el estilo se agradecería.

This movie has always been one of my favourites but the added scenes just make it better and fill in some of the holes in the edited version. Beautifully restored too.Arrived when it was supposed to. Great service.

Espléndida película de Michael Curtiz protagonizada por Edward G. Robinson. La fotografía en b/n., y el trabajo de los actores son grandes. Además la banda sonora de Erich W. Korngold es espléndida. Aunque es necesario verla en versión original en inglés subtitulada para disfrutar de toda la música. Recomendable, sin duda, para quien desee conocer el cine de aquella gran época ( 1941 ).