Hitchcock's "Lifeboat"

I had never seen this movie, saw it was on, and watched.

It was an interesting twisted Hitchcock movie.
I don't know how I had missed this one before.
I have always liked Hume Cronyn, and he didn't disappoint.

I enjoyed it a lot, and recommend it to those that haven't seen it.

I had to look up the making of it, since it seemed so much more realistic than movies at the time.

Some factoids-
This movie was shot entirely on a restricted set in which the boat was secured in a large studio tank. Alfred Hitchcock, always striving for realism, insisted that the boat never remain stationary and that there always be an added touch of ocean mist and fog compounded of oil forced through dry ice.

The harsh conditions of the shoot took its toll: actors and actresses were soaked with water and oil, which led to two cases of pneumonia for Tallulah Bankhead, an illness for Mary Anderson, and two cracked ribs for Hume Cronyn according to his autobiography. Production was temporarily halted twice to allow for recovery of the cast.

After she caught pneumonia, Tallulah Bankhead was given a puppy by Alfred Hitchcock for being such a good sport during the movie. He had already named the dog Hitchcock.

I was reading about Tallulah Bankhead.
I found this funny and thought of Rodriquez in "Aliens"

[when asked by gossip columnist Earl Wilson if she had ever been mistaken for a man on the telephone] No, have you?

A story from the filming of this movie:

During the filming of 1944’s “Lifeboat,” for example, starlet Tallulah Bankhead played the intrepid reporter Connie Porter. With Bankhead as his leading lady, Hitchcock had his hands full. Though descended from a proud and distinguished Southern family, Tallulah (whose success occurred mainly in the theatre) was proud to be contrary and consistently naughty. She once famously described herself as “pure as the driven slush,” and she wasn’t far off the mark.

A notorious on-set story: Bankhead had to climb a ladder every morning to reach the water tank where filming took place. Whenever the actress climbed, there would be scores of crew members watching her ascent. It soon became apparent why: Bankhead never wore underwear.

When a concerned bystander finally brought this matter to Hitchcock’s attention, at first the great man looked genuinely puzzled. Finally he replied, “I don’t know if this is a matter for the costume department, makeup, or hair dressing.”

The Master’s humor could also be withering. Earlier on in “Lifeboat’s” production, vain actress Mary Anderson, fishing for compliments no doubt, asked the director, “Which side is my best?” Hitch leveled his gaze and said, “You’re sitting on it, my dear.”

Who knew such a dark mind could also be so viciously funny?

Link

Walter Slezak was great as the U-boat Commander.

There's also a sci-fi remake of Lifeboat titled "Lifepod" that I recall seeing on TV a couple times back in the 1990s. Not as good as the original Hitchcock, obviously. But as a sci-fi-junkie teenager, it was entertaining enough.

quote:

Originally posted by rainman64:
I found this funny and thought of Rodriquez in "Aliens"

[when asked by gossip columnist Earl Wilson if she had ever been mistaken for a man on the telephone] No, have you?

I think you mean Vasquez:

quote:

Originally posted by rainman64:
which led to two cases of pneumonia for Tallulah Bankhead

More like two cases of bourbon whiskey.

She was an extreme hedonist, debauchery that 70s rock stars could never match. Her daily consumption of 5 packs of cigarettes and two bottles of Ol Grand Dad made her susceptible to stuff like pneumonia (she died from this ailment). Burgess Meredith in his book remembers going to a party put on by Bankhead, and she was stark naked, passing out drinks and trays of cocaine to guests, and this was in the 1930s.

Her final words before dying were "codeine...bourbon"

Rogue you are correct, Vasquez.

Maybe I was thinking about Michelle Rodriquez subconsciously...LOL