"Still The Best American Film About Life At Sea" -- David Shipman, The Story Of Cinema

Four one-acts by O'Neill add up to a gripping account of men thrown together by war facing danger from the enemy under the waves and from the raging sea itself. Wayne portrays a young Swede gaining his sea legs and just trying to make it home so he can settle on a farm of his own. He's taken in hand by the Ford stock company--Mitchell, Fitzgerald, Bond--and together they weather a fatal storm, suspicions of treason, a strafing by enemy planes, and the equally hazardous shore leave. One of Ford's finest, and that's saying plenty; O'Neill reportedly considered it the best adaptation of his work. Note the photography by Toland. Academy Award Nominations: 6, including Best Picture; Best Screenplay.