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The Last Voyage (1960)

Rate: 9
Viewed: 8/25

LastVoyage
8/25: "91 MINUTES OF THE MOST INTENSE SUSPENSE IN MOTION PICTURE HISTORY!"

Well...not really 91 minutes, but there are plenty that fit the bill in The Last Voyage. It's an strong cast: Robert Stack, Woody Strode, and three Oscar winners: Edmond O'Brien, George Sanders, and Dorothy Malone.

Typically, there's a buildup of soap opera drama and it takes a while before disaster strikes, but not this one. Everybody is ready to go, and it's been problem after problem after problem. I'm impressed with how some important people received and sent so much information and how distracted but focused they were. In short, it feels very realistic.

There are a lot of great scenes. The rescue of the girl and the ending with the water flowing on top of the ship may have clinched the Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects. If anybody deserves another, it's Woody Strode for Best Supporting Actor. He steals the show by playing a hero. No shirt is ever needed for him. Actually, 1960 was the best year of Woody Strode's career, having appeared in Spartacus, The Last Voyage, and Seargeant Rutledge. It's too bad that the Academy Awards took so long until Rupert Crosse finally became the first black male in 1970 to earn Best Supporting Actor nomination for The Reivers.

Back to the rescue of the girl, I was thinking about how it could've been handled. Instead of putting the plank in the middle of the hole, Robert Stack should've put it on the top of the blown-off sides of the bed attached to the wall. There will be support in the middle. All the girl has to do is walk halfway through, and Robert Stack will reach out to grab her.

As for Dorothy Malone, I wish the filmmakers would let me see inside the steel beam because it seemed like there were only wood drawers stacked above her legs. They can be easily broken and then taken out. At least, the filmmakers have the bruising and bleeding on her right leg correct during the aftermath.

All in all, forget The Poseidon Adventure; The Last Voyage is the one to see.