Fun Nautical Films To Watch Instead Of The News.
Gregory Peck as Captain Horacio Hornblower
Last night I turned off the news, and decided to binge watch some old nautical films. My all time favorite is Captain Horacio Hornblower with Gregory Peck. The BBC series is great as well, the books insane. Lots of lessons in leadership. Then I decided to watch The Caine Mutiny. At least I think I was watching it?
Another favorite is Mr Roberts a fun film with Henry Fonda, Jack Lemon. This film is a fun comedy that will distract you from all the drama in our world.
Then again one of the all time favorites is Mutiny On The Bounty, a timeless classic. Sadly though after all these films. I made the mistake of watching OUTBREAK, and was jolted back to reality.
Then again, you can just turn on the TV and watch the remake in realtime, it doesn’t matter what channel you watch. Its all the same. And if you live in Nevada, here is a great fast paced film for you all to watch
I am so going for a boat ride!
Matt – what about Master and Commander? Maybe a modern classic?
If you loved Master and Commander, read the Patrick O’ Brian series on which Master and Commander is based and basically a compilation of them all. He is a great writer and more than that, a maritime historian of the highest order.
Yes, the best. I recall feeling like the young officer that was sent out on the decoy raft!
At least you didnt run over the target tow cable as in the Caine Mutiny… or did you….. you kinda have that “look” on your face….
Then the most recent one that I am aware of. Is The finest Hours. About the USCG
Ya, thats a good one as well. Greyhound on APPLE TV with Tom Hanks is amazing. Well done. Watch that then Das Boot!
I think Captain Ron is what I need to watch!
Oh – Heck yah! We all wish we were Captain Ron!
The docking scene is epic
I love “Mr. Roberts” – especially Jack Lemon as Ensign Pulver. It is a fun film except for the ending which still bums me out.
I have probably watched “Master and Commander” ten times and wish that the series would have continued. My wife won’t watch it with me anymore or for that matter any boating, Navy or war related movie – except for the “African Queen”. Oh well – I’m not watching “Beaches” either!
Tom, I restored the row boat that they used in the movie and rowed to the island in Master of Command. It was a small 1905 Russian yawl. Fun project!!!
Very cool Mike – that must have been fun. Was it restored just for the movie?
A couple more are Madison. And also PT109
Those pictures, every morning, are fantastic! Love it! I steal them from you for my website :-), but with your website name on it….To attract maybe more visitors. Anyway, it’s impressive….
Idea to make a digital calendar of all these pictures?
Thanks William
Captain Ron. The belt sander scene. I think we can all relate to power tool mishaps when working on our boats.
I could not read the Hornblower series fast enough! Superb,,not to mention Arthur Ransome with his the Swallows and Amazon series!!
One of my favorite boat movies is PT 109. Wonderful boats, lots of beautiful blue water, terrific music and a great story.
As a comedy fan, love Captain Ron & Down Periscope with Kelsey Grammer. My list of other great boat films – On Golden Pond, of course – the John Wayne classic, In Harms’ Way – Muppet Treasure Island – Striking Distance with Bruce Willis & the 1st of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.
Sink the Bismarck!
Hands down my fav, FIRE!
Madison is great if you love old hydroplanes – and being from the PNW where the three-pointer boats were developed and refined, it holds a part of my heart. That, plus most of the boats used in the movie were restored here at the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum and were driven by members of that team. I really enjoy glimpses of Woodies that appear in various movies from the ‘20’s through the ‘50’s. Watching TCM we see classic boats fairly often. 🙂
And thanks, Syd, for reminding me of Madison. Don’t know how I missed that one, as it’s just down the river. Went to watch the vintage hydroplanes one year – awesome! And went looking for the little museum in the movie. Sadly, that was only fiction. But did find the current shop of Miss Madison Racing & was invited in.
Mr. Smith – going for a boat ride? ‘AWAY ALL BOATS’ starring Jeff Chandler……..have a great afternoon and weekend! S
Disney’s Boatnicks is a classic. This movie makes you laugh out loud. Plenty of quotable lines.
After caught napping at the wheel of “Chugalug”,we’ve decided to watch video’s while driving.Bet with a full fuel tank-we have enough time to watch the moronathon of Gilligan’s Island
Summer Rental with John Candy. A stressed out Air Traffic Controller takes a vacation and goes sailing. Hmmm. That has a familiar ring to it.
I you liked the Hornblower series you would the authors Alexander Kent and Patrick O’Brien. Matt your photo’s are excellent
Treasure Island…and agree with the previous poster that Master and Commander is a modern classic.
All is lost?
My all time favorite is Captains Courageous
I would go with Cary Grant movies Father goose Operation Petticoat and Desitation Tokoy
The boating scene in Caddyshack won’t work….way too similar to the buffoons in the news.
My favorite will always be Captains Courageous. My late wife and I were privileged to sail on this old wooden schooner touted to have been used in the movie. She creaked and groaned and jumped through the waves like a water sprite. the ship, not my wife!
Was “Houseboat” mentioned with Cary Grant and Sophia Loren? Nice Capri in that one. No one mentioned “They Were Expendable” with John Wayne and Robert Montgomery and Donna Reed, Ward Bond as “Boats” Mulcahee. I have a book that was published covering the making of that movie in south Florida that was intended to mimic the South Pacific islands. Another great boat movie, Sand Pebbles with Steve McQueen about a small Navy river gunboat steam powered with McQueen as the machinist mate running the steam engine. Being a steam engine fan, this movie is fantastic with shots of a working steam engine under power. Many other movies I recorded on VCR tape which is now useless unless I send it out to convert to digital.
Here’s one of the pictures from the book that covered the making of “They Were Expendable”. It shows the squadron’s h/q in the backwater of the South Pacific islands but was actually the wild shoreline of Miami showing the hotels in the background which were “matted out” for the movie.
Watch Mel Gibson in one of his first starring roles in the 1981 Attack Force “Z” action adventure WW2 war flick (it actually had assistance from the Australian “Z Force” special forces association). Infiltrating a Japanese held island in the far east using folding kayaks launched by submarine Givsons’ squad takes on the entire Japanese Army using silenced M3 “greaseguns” – it’s a hot!
Y’all forgot about this one….