Ferry to Hong Kong
- Curd Jürgens: Mark Bertram Conrad
- Orson Welles: Captain Hart
- Sylvia Syms: Liz Ferrers
- Jeremy Spenser: Miguel Henriques
- Noel Purcell: Joe Skinner
Ferry to Hong Kong ( original title: Ferry to Hong Kong) is a British film directed by Lewis Gilbert from the year 1959.
Action
The German Mark Conrad hangs around in a bar in Hong Kong and becomes entangled in a brawl. Then he is reported and must take a ferry to Macau. The captain, Captain Hart, takes him only reluctantly, as Conrad's appearance does not comply with his wishes. Although hard banished him below deck, Conrad befriends spontaneously with a group of Chinese children as well as with the machinists Joe Skinner. In Macau him refused entry despite valid visa, he has to go back to Hong Kong again. After he was no longer allowed to go ashore there, too, he is doomed to commute for an indefinite period on the ferry. The captain is incensed and calls Conrad on a crucial card game. Conrad wins because Hart has tried to cheat, and so he can stay on deck.
Conrad learns the supervisor of the children's group, Liz, closer, and invites them to a meager dinner. One evening they leave the ship illegally in Hong Kong and hoof it through the bars. As hard she tracks, Conrad can save just barely on the ship, where he is safe from the British case law. Again at sea, warnings are coming in that a typhoon could arise. But before the crew discovered a burning junk. Captain Hart refuses at first to take the castaways, but by a pastor he is persuaded eventually. After the castaways have been saved, it is known that the junk has black powder loaded. To escape it is too late, the ferry is strongly driven by the detonation. Also the upcoming typhoon can no longer escape the ship. In seemingly hopeless situation Conrad takes the helm and navigates the ship out of the danger zone. Liz is impressed by his act and the two kiss each other.
Next, pirates boarded the ship, the captain captivate and want ransom for the children. But Conrad and the other men they put to flight, just before the already damaged vessel sinks.
Reviews
- " FERRY TO HONG KONG 'at neighborhood theaters is recommended to only the morbidly curious who can see Orson Welles giving his worst performance-and we mean ever. " - Howard Thompson in New York Times on April 27, 1961 ( Ferry to Hong Kong, we recommend only the morbidly curious who want to see Orson Welles in his worst role, and indeed of all time. )
- "The whole shebang is delivered with seeking tongue-in -cheek jauntiness did one Constantly Expects the cast to break into a musical number at any time. " - Bra on www.cinephilia.net.au ( The whole shebang is brought over with such an ironic elegance that you constantly waiting for the performers to play at once a musical number. )