The Captain's Table (1959) User Reviews

Good fun, but hardly a classic Richard Gordon adaptation

[tigon · 5/10 · 23 August 2000]

Silly comedy based on author Richard Gordon's first book. Gordon is best known as the creator of the 'Doctor' novels, some of which were successfully filmed for the big screen between 1954 and 1970, as well as spawning a seventies TV sitcom. 'The Captain's Table' is very much in the same style: a few near-the-knuckle gags, lots of pretty bikini-clad girls and a veritable host of old English stereotypes.

Naughty vicars, camp stewards, sexy popsies and batty old ladies abound, but despite a super cast of comedy legends like Donald Sinden, Richard Wattis, John LeMesurier and Miles Malleson, the movie lacks any real fizz and fails to be even half as funny as its 'Doctor' cousins. Lead actor John Gregson is no match for Dirk Bogarde or Leslie Phillips, but Carry On star Joan Sims enlivens the proceedings with a cute cameo as a frumpy spinster.

Worth a look, but don't expect too many hearty laughs.

My 390th Review: Passable stock 50s comedy - but one that shows a change in British Cinema

[intelearts · 5/10 · 21 March 2011]

Like many of its ilk Captain's Table looks like a very typical British 50s comedy and while good fun it's certainly no classic. It's very reminiscent of the Love Boat TV series with a cast of Britain's best it should shine - but it's all just for laughs. From a running jokes about Bridge players, to Donald Sinden's womaniser, it's all pretty much what you'd expect The women are the stronger characters here, and the plot is all about them trying to land the new captain. Fun but hardly original.

However, and it's a huge however, it is one of a handful of films that should be watched as being one of the better examples of the transition in British Cinema from social comedies to the more bawdy comedy of Carry On. You can actually see right up on screen the change coming and the difference between Genevieve, School For Scoundrels, Passport to Pimlico, and the Carry On films. The comedy is not Carry On saucy yet, but sex is a real theme throughout. No one foot on the floor cinema here. No coyness. There are bikinis everywhere and while not saucy it ain't coy either. Something happens in cinema around the Bikini Atoll, 1957, where the Big Bang suddenly does seem to liberate its own double entendre.

The whole of Captain's Table has characters that will become stock in the 1960s, a very camp batman, which Kenneth Williams will make his stock and trade, at the beginning of the film we have a seaman who could be Sid James, and throughout there are touches and ideas that Carry On will take and fly with.

If British Comedy from the 1950s is about class: either upper twits at play or working class succeeding despite authorities, then 1960s is about the triumph of the working man finding status and financial freedom. Captain's Table straddles both these with lots of upper-class twits (the Army Captain in particular) and a more blatant approach.

The film itself is lightweight fluff and fun because of it, but as a record of the changing point in British cinema it holds a place.

Girls at Sea

[richardchatten · 5/10 · 6 January 2020]

A strange writing triumvirate of John ('The Devils') Whiting, Bryan Forbes and Nicholas Phipps (who also plays one of the passengers) turned Richard Gordon's 1954 novel into a virtual remake of 'Doctor at Sea', who's 'naughty' jokes, quirky supporting cast (most of whom plainly never left the obvious set with painted skies at Pinewood) and shiny Eastman Color photography coalesced soon afterwards for a third time into 'Carry On Cruising'.

Cummins and Sims are the highlights

[thos173 · 6/10 · 7 July 2020]

Peggy Cummins is breathtakingly gorgeous as always. Joan Sims's turn as Maud Pritchett is funny. I have a soft spot for Donald Sinden.

Fish out of water comedy

[jongibbo · 6/10 · 31 December 2019]

This is the old fish-out-of-water plotline, in this case a tramp steamer captain is made temporary captain of a passenger liner after the regular captain becomes ill. The star, John Gregson had, a few years earlier, been in the sublime Genevieve, however this is nowhere near that level. It follows a fairly predictable path and is hardly innovative. Still, I found it fairly amusing, and a relatively painless way of spending an hour and a half. Looking at the DVD (incidentally, why is the DVD in 4:3 format when surely it would have been made in wide screen format) I was interested to note that it was produced by Joseph Janni , who in the sixties would go on to produce such films as A Kind of Loving, Billy Liar and Darling. Evidently, he had his finger on the pulse of evolving tastes.

Tired comedy

[malcolmgsw · 4/10 · 31 March 2016]

This film has a great cast which is totally wasted on this unimaginative load of clichés.Most of the scenes in this film have been done so much better in other films.The jokes such as they are are so old that they have whiskers on.The crew constantly on the fiddle.Ronnie Shiner was rather better at this than Richard Wattis.Donald Sinden being asked to do his unfunny woman chaser from the Doctor series.John Gregson then at the hight of his stardom playing a rookie cruise Captain and Peggy Cummins with her designs on him.That marvellous actor Reginald Beckwith almost stealing the film.However the Big problem with this film is that is just not funny.

Enjoyable gentle humour.

[plan99 · 7/10 · 17 November 2020]

This film was not designed to deliver "belly laughs" but gentle humour and it does this very well. Populated by genuinely beautiful ladies and not the plastic Barbie Frankenstein Doll horrors common in 2020. Add the bonus of glorious colour and it's a very pleasant way of passing time.

A sad waste of talented players!

[JohnHowardReid · 3/10 · 25 September 2017]

Producer: Joseph Janni. Executive producer: Earl St John. A Joseph Janni-Jack Lee Production, made at Pinewood Studios, and with the co-operation of the Orient Line. Presented by the J. Arthur Rank Organisation.

Copyright 1960 by J. Arthur Rank Film Productions, Ltd. U.S. release through 20th Century-Fox: September 1960. New York opening at the 68th St Playhouse: 26 September 1960. U.K. release through Rank Film Distributors: 1 February 1959. Australian release through British Empire Films: 3 July 1959. Sydney opening at the State. 8,010 feet. 89 minutes. (Available on a very good Spirit Entertainment DVD).

SYNOPSIS: The Captain of a rust-bucket tramp steamer is put in charge of a passenger liner.

VIEWER'S GUIDE: A smutty "comedy", unsuitable for all.

COMMENT: An inept slapstick farce, crude, witless and without any redeeming features save for the sterling efforts of a hardworking cast.

OTHER VIEWS: "The Captain's Table" offers a promising menu, but a meager meal. — Eugene Archer in The New York Times.

Lots of the humor is slapstick, and most of the comic situations are mined to the very end of the lode. Only rarely does someone climb a ship's ladder without missing a step. — Joseph Morgenstern in The New York Herald Tribune.

A sad waste of talented players like John Gregson, Peggy Cummins and the attractively photographed and costumed Nadia Gray. The script is as barren of genuinely comic ideas as Jack Lee's direction is devoid of even routine competence and flair. — J.H.R. in Photoplayer.

Unfunny, tedious and too long

[geoffm60295 · 3/10 · 18 November 2020]

I had high hopes for this film as it features a whole host of very able, experienced and talented supporting characters such as Richard Wattis, John le Mesurier, Reginald Beckwith, Bill Kerr, Donald Sinden, Joan Sims etc etc! Yet, it falls flat on its face and becomes a very long yawn! The major problem is mainly the dialogue, which isn't at all funny, and a storyline about a ex tramp steamer captain being given charge of a passenger liner ship, played by John Gregson, who because he is totally ill equipped to play the cheerful, 'chummy' and 'Mr Nice Guy' to an eclectic mix of passengers, finds himself in a constant state of embarrassment, discomfort and confusion. Gregson is no Rex Harrison, who might have carried off the role with some aplomb, instead Gregson struggles with the 'humorous scenes' where due to his lack of experience in the job, he commits a series of painful social gaffes which in itself becomes the entire humour thread of the film. Beckwith puts in a good performance as the captain's valet with Richard Wattis, always a joy to see, playing the suave and urbane ship's purser. Yet, despite a good supporting cast, the film from the point of humour, never moves out of second gear.

Lloyd George Knew My Fa-a-a-ather, Father Knew Lloyd George

[judah-17 · 9/10 · 13 March 2020]

Hearing a drunken sailor (I think it was the captain himself)in this 61 year old delightful film, singing that nine word song to the tune of Onward Christian Soldiers, over and over again, for the first time in at least seventy years today, immediately caused me to increase my rating by two points, from 7 to 9. I know I'll be singing it again repeatedly for weeks and months and maybe even years to come!