Ship of Fools is a 1965 film that appeals to the intellect and the emotions, no action or adventure here. An eclectic group of passengers board a cruise ship bound for prewar Germany, who form a microcosm of 1930s society. One passenger, a mysterious countess is headed for a German prison camp. The charming ships doctor harbors a debilitating heart condition. Then there's the American divorcée who vainly attempts to outrun time itself, the Jewish salesman and philosopher convinced that Nazism is just a passing fad, the boorish German anti-Semite, the young couple who find love and a lot more, the Texas business man who learns he just might not be gods gift to women. During their weeks at sea, this ship of fools forges bonds and rivalries, and unearths secrets. Stanley Kramer takes a seemingly boring melodrama and turns it into fascinating character study. Abby Man does a wonderful job of bring to life Katherine Anne Porter's overly long novel. The cast includes Vivien Leigh, Jose Ferrer, Lee Marvin, Simone Signoret, Oskar Werner, Elizabeth Ashley, George Segal, Michael Dunn, Charles Korvin and Heinz Ruhmann.
If you decide to take the cruise, it's available on Amazon Prime Video and appears on TCM occasionally.
If you decide to take the cruise, it's available on Amazon Prime Video and appears on TCM occasionally.
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