The Ghost Ship

Val Lewton produced and Mark Robson directed The Ghost Ship, from 1943, which isn't really a horror film but more of a study in psychotic behavior, owing a lot to other literary sources that depict tyrannical ship captains (but came before The Caine Mutiny).

Richard Dix is Captain Stone, who helms a cargo ship. He personally chooses Russell Wade to his third officer, because he has a similar background. Wade likes his new boss, but as time goes on he realizes something isn't quite right with Dix, who is obsessed with authority. He has a theory that because the safety of the crew is his responsibility, he also has complete authority over their life and death.

It comes to a head when a crewman (Lawrence Tierney, whom I didn't recognize) is accidentally killed in a chain locker. Wade thinks it's murder, but when he reports Stone to the shipping company, he's cleared and Wade quits. But he ends up back on the ship, fearing for his life.

The film, a slim 68 minutes, builds slowly, but as with all the Lewton films I've seen, has an almost undefinable sense of dread. The last act, with Wade trying to convince the rest of the crew of the captain's murderous attentions, is first rate, with a mute sailor (Skelton Knaggs) playing a key role.

The Ghost Ship was pulled from release after a copyright suit, and was little seen for fifty years. It's not one of the best of the Lewton films, but it has its moments and is worth a look.