Ferry to Hong Kong

1h 53m 1961

Brief Synopsis

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Conrad, in fuga da Vienna, si rifugia a Hong Kong, dove vive di espedienti. Turbolento e cercaguai viene espulso dalla polizia e spedito a Macao, sul traghetto 'Fa Tsan', guidato dal capitano Hart. Ma anche la polizia portoghese gli vieta lo sbarco, per cui viene costretto a stazionare sul traghetto, con grosso disappunto del comandante, che tenta con ogni mezzo di liberarsi di lui. La simpatia di Conrad e la sua irruenza gli procurano molte simpatie tra l'equipaggio e suscitano l'interesse di Liz, una giovane insegnante che compie periodicamente la traversata con le sue allieve. Liz decide di iniziare una campagna di stampa a favore di Conrad; ma l'iniziativa fallisce a causa dell'interessato, che, sceso clandestinamente a terra, viene coinvolto in una rissa. Durante uno dei tanti viaggi, il traghetto incrocia una giunca in fiamme. Spinto da Li e dagli altri passeggeri, Conrad obbliga il capitano ad accostare; ma la giunca, carica di dinamite, esplode causando gravi danni al traghetto. Intanto scoppia un tifone e, di fronte al gretto comportamento di Hart, Conrad prende le redini del comando ed evita il peggio. Purtroppo il natante, alla deriva, finisce sulle coste cinesi, dove viene assalito dai pirati: con l'aiuto dell'equipaggio e del capitano, Conrad riesce a mettere fuori combattimento i pirati ed a condurre il vecchio traghetto fino a Hong Kong, dove cola a picco, dopo che tutti i passeggeri sono sbarcati. Alla fine Conrad ottiene un permesso di soggiorno: la sua condotta coraggiosa gli ha assicurato l'affetto di Liz e la stima di Hart.

Cast & Crew

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Lewis Gilbert

Director

Curt Jurgens

Mark Conrad

Orson Welles

Capt. Cecil Hart

Sylvia Syms

Liz Ferrers

Jeremy Spenser

Miguel Henriques

Noel Purcell

Joe Skinner

Film Details

Genre
Adventure
Release Date
Jan 1961
Premiere Information
Saint Louis opening: 22 Feb 1961
Production Company
Rank Organisation
Distribution Company
Twentieth Century--Fox Film Corp.
Country
United Kingdom
Screenplay Information
Based on the novel Ferry to Hong Kong by Max Catto (London, 1957).

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 53m
Sound
Mono
Color
Color (Eastmancolor)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
2.35 : 1

Synopsis

Pompous and tyrannical Captain Hart is the skipper of the Fa Tsan (derisively called the "Fat Annie"), a broken-down ferryboat running between Hong Kong and Macao. One day the Hong Kong police toss aboard Mark Conrad, a drunken, cynical Austrian exile, providing him with a one-way ticket to Macao. He has been expelled following his latest brawl in a nightclub. Hart is disgusted with what he calls a "stinking piece of human refuse" but has no alternative but to take Conrad to Macao. However, the authorities there refuse to allow Conrad to come ashore, and, since he cannot return to Hong Kong, he is condemned to live permanently on the ferry. Despite Hart's opposition, Conrad finds to his surprise that he has friends: Liz Ferrers, a schoolteacher who escorts a group of children on a weekly ferry trip; and the crew, who defy their skipper by offering the exile food, drink, furniture, and friendship. Conrad begins to show that he is more than a drunken derelict. He helps rescue survivors of a blazing junk, behaves heroically when a typhoon strikes the ferry, and even takes the wheel of the vessel when Hart is incapacitated. The storm propels the ship to the China coast, and here it is boarded by pirates who terrorize the wealthier passengers. Aided by Hart and the crew, Conrad defeats the pirates and comes close to getting the storm-battered ferry back to port; but she sinks in Hong Kong harbor. As the "Fat Annie" goes down, Hart concedes a grudging admiration for Conrad, who has salvaged from the wreck self-respect and a future.

Director

Lewis Gilbert

Director

Cast

Curt Jurgens

Mark Conrad

Orson Welles

Capt. Cecil Hart

Sylvia Syms

Liz Ferrers

Jeremy Spenser

Miguel Henriques

Noel Purcell

Joe Skinner

Margaret Withers

Miss Carter

John Wallace

Police inspector

Roy Chiao Hung

Johnny Sing-Up

Shelley Shen

Foo Soo

Louis Seto

Tommy Cheng

Milton Reid

Yen

Ronald Decent

Portuguese major

Don Carlos

Archdeacon

Nick Kendall

2d police inspector

Kwan Shan Lam

1st guardian

Crew

Bert Batt

Assistant Director

Charles Collins

Composer

Bill Daniels

Sound Recording

John Dark

Production Manager

Fook Ling Wong

Composer

Lewis Gilbert

Company

Lewis Gilbert

Screenwriter

Gladys Goldsmith

Cont

Vernon Harris

Screenwriter

Harold Haysom

Camera Operator

Otto Heller

Director of Photography

Peter Hunt

Film Editor

Kenneth V. Jones

Music Composition

Bob Lawrence

Makeup

Archie Ludski

Sound Editing

Muir Mathieson

Conductor

George Maynard

Producer

John Mortimer

Additional Dialogue

Syd Pearson

Special Effects

Arthur Ridout

Sound Editing

Paddy Roberts

Composer

Bob Sharples

Composer

Paula Lee Shiu

Chinese adv

Earl St. John

Executive Producer

C. C. Stevens

Sound Recording

John Stoll

Production Design

Ron Udell

Constr Manager

Film Details

Genre
Adventure
Release Date
Jan 1961
Premiere Information
Saint Louis opening: 22 Feb 1961
Production Company
Rank Organisation
Distribution Company
Twentieth Century--Fox Film Corp.
Country
United Kingdom
Screenplay Information
Based on the novel Ferry to Hong Kong by Max Catto (London, 1957).

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 53m
Sound
Mono
Color
Color (Eastmancolor)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
2.35 : 1

Quotes

Trivia

Notes

Copyright length: 111 min. Filmed in Hong Kong. Released in Great Britain in August 1959; running time: 113 min.

Miscellaneous Notes

Released in United States Winter January 1, 1959

Released in United States Winter January 1, 1959

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