Let's get real folks! Do you really believe that any screenwriter would be able to turn a limited historical event such as the voyage of the Mayflower, into a fully realized compelling drama? The main take is that it was an extremely arduous journey and I think that the film scenarists did a pretty good job conveying that.
As far as the human drama-yeah, the romance part was contrived, but the optimistic message was still a good one. We'll get to that in a moment.
I like how they cast Spencer Tracy against type as the cynical Captain Christopher Jones and no I don't think he was too old for the part (the real Captain Jones I believe was only two years younger than Tracy who was 52 at the time the film was released).
Much was made in the beginning of the film of the businessman Weston (an uncredited Rhys Williams) who supposedly tore up the original agreement to bring the church dissidents (Puritans) to Virginia, paying Captain Jones to ship them to Massachusetts instead. The plan was to buy up the land there where the dissidents would end up beholden to the unscrupulous Weston.
In my reading I found no evidence this is what happened. We do learn that not only were the Puritans living in Holland before coming to The New World but not everyone on the ship were pious churchgoers.
The challenge of the film was to flesh out all the historical characters we're familiar with from history. I think the best was John Dehner as Gilbert Winslow who serves as the narrator here as well as an impromptu poet (Shakespeare anyone?). His storied defense of the Puritans as brave men in opposition to Captain Jones disparagement of them as "losers," is one of the most memorable scenes in the film.
Some of the other passengers remain underdeveloped. There's a hint of romance between carpenter John Alden (Van Johnson) and Priscilla Mullins (Dawn Addams), a comic scene with Noel Drayton as Miles Standish coaching the potential settlers how to use a musket and Lloyd Bridges as First Mate Coppin acting as the captain's enforcer (mainly getting into various scrapes with the hot-headed Alden).
Leo Genn as William Bradford (who kept a diary which formed the basis for much of what we know about the Mayflower and later became the first governor of Massachusetts) is paired off with wife Dorothy (Gene Tierney). Bradford's big moment is being saved by Captain Jones after being swept overboard during the storm.
Speaking of the storm-it's a truly harrowing scene with everyone being tossed about below deck. Kudos to the special effects department.
Which brings us to the central weakness of the plot: Dorothy's attraction to the horribly gruff, curmudgeonly captain. Throughout she despises him until her husband's rescue. But is that enough for her to suddenly kiss a man who she regards as terribly crude?
And when would a pious Christian woman give into temptation like that?
History has it that Dorothy Bradford died after falling overboard under mysterious circumstances. But suicide? A most unlikely proposition.
Nonetheless Dorothy's death is the catalyst for Captain Jones's redemption. He keeps his ship in the harbor at Cape Cod to assist the settlers as they acclimate to the harsh New England winter. Historically however, he remained at Cape Cod to give his crew members to recuperate after many fell sick.
Still Captain Jones's transformation into a good guy inspired by the pious and courageous passengers symbolizes that strength and courage can even leave its mark on those who initially appear forsaken by God.
While many characters receive short shrift and the romance angle is not at all credible, Plymouth Adventure still manages to score points in terms of historical verisimilitude.
As far as the human drama-yeah, the romance part was contrived, but the optimistic message was still a good one. We'll get to that in a moment.
I like how they cast Spencer Tracy against type as the cynical Captain Christopher Jones and no I don't think he was too old for the part (the real Captain Jones I believe was only two years younger than Tracy who was 52 at the time the film was released).
Much was made in the beginning of the film of the businessman Weston (an uncredited Rhys Williams) who supposedly tore up the original agreement to bring the church dissidents (Puritans) to Virginia, paying Captain Jones to ship them to Massachusetts instead. The plan was to buy up the land there where the dissidents would end up beholden to the unscrupulous Weston.
In my reading I found no evidence this is what happened. We do learn that not only were the Puritans living in Holland before coming to The New World but not everyone on the ship were pious churchgoers.
The challenge of the film was to flesh out all the historical characters we're familiar with from history. I think the best was John Dehner as Gilbert Winslow who serves as the narrator here as well as an impromptu poet (Shakespeare anyone?). His storied defense of the Puritans as brave men in opposition to Captain Jones disparagement of them as "losers," is one of the most memorable scenes in the film.
Some of the other passengers remain underdeveloped. There's a hint of romance between carpenter John Alden (Van Johnson) and Priscilla Mullins (Dawn Addams), a comic scene with Noel Drayton as Miles Standish coaching the potential settlers how to use a musket and Lloyd Bridges as First Mate Coppin acting as the captain's enforcer (mainly getting into various scrapes with the hot-headed Alden).
Leo Genn as William Bradford (who kept a diary which formed the basis for much of what we know about the Mayflower and later became the first governor of Massachusetts) is paired off with wife Dorothy (Gene Tierney). Bradford's big moment is being saved by Captain Jones after being swept overboard during the storm.
Speaking of the storm-it's a truly harrowing scene with everyone being tossed about below deck. Kudos to the special effects department.
Which brings us to the central weakness of the plot: Dorothy's attraction to the horribly gruff, curmudgeonly captain. Throughout she despises him until her husband's rescue. But is that enough for her to suddenly kiss a man who she regards as terribly crude?
And when would a pious Christian woman give into temptation like that?
History has it that Dorothy Bradford died after falling overboard under mysterious circumstances. But suicide? A most unlikely proposition.
Nonetheless Dorothy's death is the catalyst for Captain Jones's redemption. He keeps his ship in the harbor at Cape Cod to assist the settlers as they acclimate to the harsh New England winter. Historically however, he remained at Cape Cod to give his crew members to recuperate after many fell sick.
Still Captain Jones's transformation into a good guy inspired by the pious and courageous passengers symbolizes that strength and courage can even leave its mark on those who initially appear forsaken by God.
While many characters receive short shrift and the romance angle is not at all credible, Plymouth Adventure still manages to score points in terms of historical verisimilitude.