Ship of Fools 1965

type: Movie

language: English

duration: 149 min

genre: drama

theme: psychological drama

director: Stanley Kramer

Score: 5 / 10

Ship of Fools is a 1965 American drama film directed by Stanley Kramer, set on board an ocean liner bound for Germany from Mexico in 1933. It stars a prominent ensemble cast of 11 stars — Vivien Leigh (in her final film role), Simone Signoret, Jose Ferrer, Lee Marvin, Oskar Werner, Elizabeth Ashley, George Segal, Jose Greco, Michael Dunn, Charles Korvin, and Heinz Rühmann.

Plot

The ship's medical officer, Dr. Schumann, takes a special interest in La Condesa, a Spanish countess with an opiate addiction, being deported from Cuba to a Spanish prison in Tenerife for illegally aiding the rebel cause in the Cuban Revolution of 1933. The 600 field workers in steerage, being deported to Spain due to the low market price of Cuban sugar, cheer the Condesa as she boards the ship under police escort. She tells the doctor she was motivated by seeing the impoverished conditions in which 5,000 laborers lived, under patronage of the man with whom she lived in luxury. She manipulates the doctor for drugs, but her activism aligns with the doctor's humanitarian ideals that the laborers in steerage be treated like human beings rather than cargo. Their shared sympathies soon evolve into love, though both realize it is a hopeless situation. The doctor conceals his heart condition from her.

Awards

Cast

More details

author	Abby Mann Katherine Anne Porter
award	Academy Award for Best Art Direction, Black and White Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
contentLocation	Atlantic Ocean
director	Stanley Kramer
editor	Robert C. Jones
events	antisemitism fascism seamanship
genre	drama
keywords	american art anti-jewish aryan aryanism baseball player buy civil guard cuban revolution cuban revolution of 1933 divorce estranged wife fade fight flamenco force fourth wall heart attack heart condition human being impoverish iron cross lynch married nazi party nothing police escort rassenschande rescue special interest tenerife travel world war i
musicBy	Ernest Gold
nomination	Academy Award for Best Actor Academy Award for Best Actress Academy Award for Best Art Direction, Black and White Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White Academy Award for Best Costume Design, Black-and-White Academy Award for Best Picture Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama
producer	Stanley Kramer
productionCompany	Stanley Kramer Productions
publisher	Columbia Pictures Corporation
theme	psychological drama