This fine film screened on US TV under the title "Crime On The High Seas" it also won the Silver Award for 'Outstanding Feature Film' of 1963. This semi-allegorical story, written by prize winning Polish-born novelist Siegfried Lenz in 1960 as 'Das Feuerschiff' (the book remains in print today), has been filmed four times to date. Lenz is also known throughout the world for his iconic 1968 highly regarded novel, "The German Lesson."
For the original story of 'The Lightship', humanist Lenz, cleverly weaves a brutal conventional crime story into a situation offering a symbolic parable - exposing the drive for power employed by all destructive forces (IE: the Nazi party and other warmongers) who use bullying tactics to control vulnerable communities. Within the situations Lenz sets up, he exposes the devastating impact these forces inflict on innocent bystanders. Lenz thoughtfully creates an illustration that perhaps invites the viewer to consider the statement: "Evil triumphs when good men do nothing".
As a young man, Lenz was drafted into the German Navy but defected to Denmark. Turning himself over to the British, he became a prisoner of war and interned in Schleswig-Holstein. For the majority of his life, he has artistically expressed the regret felt amongst many Germans for the damage inflicted on the world by certain followers under their infamous Fuehrer's regime. In later years, he was awarded the prestigious Goethe prize and the German Book Club Peace prize.
Having also seen the 1985 American re-make of 'The Lightship', I personally felt this earlier film far out-shone the rather poorly constructed later production. With its many scenes that failed to gel due to post-production problems this version also tended to leave much of the original's depth somewhat lost at sea.
The '63 vers also had the distinction of being one of few films to feature London-born (of strong Scottish ancestry) James Robertson Justice in an important dramatic lead. Justice is better known for a string of British comedies, as well as the epic 1961 drama 'The Guns of Navarone'. He was an interesting choice for the role of Captain of the Lightship - having himself felt the sting of Nazism - while earlier serving as a policeman with the League of Nations in a region under German governance. While Justice had a command of many languages, including German - in the film he speaks English. Other cast members include prolific German actors Dieter Borsche and Helmut Wildt as the deceptive Dr Caspary.
The Director is multi-talented Austrian-Hungarian born Ladislao Vajda, who is known for the controversial "It Happened in Broad Daylight" '58 and the charming "Miracle of Marcelino" '55 ~ also for writing one episode that made up "The Story of Three Loves" '53. Vajda also wrote the play "Grounds for Divorce", which played on stage in the UK.
The screenplay for "Crime On The High Seas" was adapted for the screen by German-born writer (who based himself in America) Curt Siodmak (brother of writer/director Robert). Curt Siodmak has a mixed bag of popular works to his credit, including: "Berlin Express" '48 ~ "Donovan's Brain" '53 ~ "Hauser's Memory" '70, and the classic: "The Wolfman" 41 ~ among others.
The Cinematographer was German Heinz Pehlice, who, in '59, shot the atmospheric "Ship of The Dead". I have not yet seen the 2008 TV version of 'Lightship', but hope that experience may come soon. As for the original, it seems the German Film Institute holds a print and rights to this important work. In the era of DVDs, etc, it's criminal this version seems to have remained unavailable. One hopes a TV channel or cable may see its way to screening it after so long neglected. Watch for it, or find it...if you can!
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