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IMDbPro

Rulers of the Sea

  • 19391939
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 37m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
109
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
134,950
2,645
Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Margaret Lockwood in Rulers of the Sea (1939)
Drama
Story of the beginnings of the steam-powered engine and its use in the first steamship voyage across the Atlantic Ocean.Story of the beginnings of the steam-powered engine and its use in the first steamship voyage across the Atlantic Ocean.Story of the beginnings of the steam-powered engine and its use in the first steamship voyage across the Atlantic Ocean.
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
109
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
134,950
2,645
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Frank Lloyd
    • Writers
      • Talbot Jennings(story and screenplay)
      • Frank Cavett(story and screenplay)
      • Richard Collins(story and screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
      • Margaret Lockwood
      • Will Fyffe
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Frank Lloyd
    • Writers
      • Talbot Jennings(story and screenplay)
      • Frank Cavett(story and screenplay)
      • Richard Collins(story and screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
      • Margaret Lockwood
      • Will Fyffe
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 7User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • Photos12

    Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Margaret Lockwood in Rulers of the Sea (1939)
    Rulers of the Sea (1939)
    Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Margaret Lockwood in Rulers of the Sea (1939)
    Will Fyffe in Rulers of the Sea (1939)
    Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Margaret Lockwood in Rulers of the Sea (1939)
    Rulers of the Sea (1939)
    Rulers of the Sea (1939)
    Rulers of the Sea (1939)
    Rulers of the Sea (1939)
    Rulers of the Sea (1939)
    Rulers of the Sea (1939)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
    Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
    • David Gillespie
    Margaret Lockwood
    Margaret Lockwood
    • Mary Shaw
    Will Fyffe
    Will Fyffe
    • John Shaw
    George Bancroft
    George Bancroft
    • Captain Oliver
    Montagu Love
    Montagu Love
    • Malcolm Grant
    Vaughan Glaser
    • Junius Smith
    David Torrence
    David Torrence
    • Donald Fenton
    Lester Matthews
    Lester Matthews
    • Lieut. Roberts
    Alec Craig
    Alec Craig
    • Foreman
    Barlowe Borland
    Barlowe Borland
    • Magistrate
    Wilson Benge
    Wilson Benge
    • Campbell
    Harry Allen
    • Murdock
    Barry Macollum
    • Miller
    David Cavendish
    • First Officer Lewis
    • (as Denis d'Auburn)
    David Clyde
    David Clyde
    • Second Mate Evans
    Charles McAvoy
    • O'Brien
    Alan Ladd
    Alan Ladd
    • Colin Farrell
    Lawrence Grant
    Lawrence Grant
    • Mr. Negley
    • Director
      • Frank Lloyd
    • Writers
      • Talbot Jennings(story and screenplay)
      • Frank Cavett(story and screenplay)
      • Richard Collins(story and screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      The film is based on two original British steamships, the SS Sirius and the SS Great Western. The SS Sirius was built in 1837 and was serving the London-Cork line until the quest for steam-crossing the Atlantic took her to this adventure. She had condensers which worked with fresh water which allowed less maintenance so quicker journeys. She sailed from Cork and arrived in New York in April 22nd. 1838 after a 18-day trip, only a day ahead of the SS Great Western, which had been specially built for the Atlantic steam crossing but left England (Avonmouth, near Bristol) four days later (so she was faster, but left later). In the film the Sirius, a working replica of which was built, is renamed Dog Star (as Sirius is the dog star), but keeps her original Royal Navy captain's name (Lt. Richard Roberts). The SS Savannah, an American ship, had been the first one to cross the Atlantic in 1819 from Savannah to Liverpool, only partially using steam power and with no passengers daring to embark considering it too dangerous.

    User reviews7

    Review
    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    Pioneers of Steamship Ocean Transport
    It was good to see Margaret Lockwood (ML) again playing Will Fyffe's daughter as she did in "Owd Bob" (1938) when John Loder was her fiancé.This time the romance is between David Gillespie (Douglas Fairbanks Jnr)(DF) and Mary Shaw (ML) takes longer to develop as DF is very reticent to show his feelings to ML despite MLs obvious feelings for him.The reason is that DF has to make his way in the world and establish himself before he commits to a wife.Meanwhile ML is not too convinced her father should throw away his secure engineering job on Greenock on the Clyde for a speculative job designing steam engines for ships urged on by DF. Although a fictitious story, the scriptwriters do mention that "The Great Western Railway" is planning a rival designed to beat the Shaw and Gillespie steamship, "The Dog Star" in the race as first steamship to New York and cross the Atlantic non stop.

    I presume this rival was the "The Great Western" which in the late 1830s was a paddle steamer which was designed before the much more famous "SS Great Britain" by Isambard Kingdom Brunel.The latter ship was launched at Bristol in 1843, as the first screw driven steamship to cross the North Atlantic.This ship was returned in 1970 to Bristol to the same shipyard whence it was originally launched after languishing in the Falkland Islands for many years.I have visited the site and toured this ship.

    It is a pity ML abandoned the U.S. and returned to the UK after making just two films there, this and "Susannah of the Mounties" (1939) with Randolph Scott and Shirley Temple; as I felt (ML) and (DF) had a good on-screen chemistry together.Will Fyffe plays his usual crafty character role as an engineer of steamship engines who captures the imagination of a dispirited DF by his imaginative (but not mathematically correct) pioneer designer.
    helpful•2
    0
    • howardmorley
    • Jan 14, 2008

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 17, 1939 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Herrscher der Meere
    • Filming locations
      • Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Paramount Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 37 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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