It's the first part, "The Secret Sharer", that will stick in your mind and remain there. It's a story by Joseph Conrad and actually one of his best and one of the very few that ends agreeably. James Mason is a captain on his first ship somewhere around Malaya (as usual) when he gets a swimmer on board, who has been swimming the whole day. He confesses to have murdered a person on board his own ship and therefore can't return. This naturally causes a predicament for James Mason on his first and crucial command. It's a fascoinating psychological drama, but the best part is all the insights you get by the film of how to run a sailing ship. The photo is magnificent and rich in its great panoramic compass of all the life on board, how the sailors work, impressing pictures of the ship at sea - this is a treat for fans of sailing ships, and as such it is first class and unforgettable.
The second part with Robert Preston as a sheriff in the wild west is a comedy about how he has to cope with the problem of a drunk colleague running wild in his absence while he is off for a wedding. It is dwarfed by the realism of James Mason's performance.
Review of Face to Face
Face to Face
(1952)
James Mason on his first command as captain encountering unexpected problems
9 December 2019