Acensbart
Excellent but underrated film
Pacionsbo
Absolutely Fantastic
Hattie
I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.
HotToastyRag
To me, the second best part of this movie was the lack of imagination used in the story. It provided me with so much inspiration—for days afterwards, I kept coming up with ways the story could have been better, and that was quite fun! The best part, of course, was watching Richard Burton, scruffy, sweaty, and shipwrecked.Sea Wife starts out as a mystery. Richard Burton, cleaned up and in a suit, takes out a newspaper advertisement, looking for "Sea Wife" and signing it "Biscuit". The audience has no idea what he's talking about, but he continues to place personal ads, with no response. The movie goes back in time and becomes a shipwreck adventure! Four people are stranded in a lifeboat, each earning a nickname instead of sharing personal details. Richard Burton becomes "Biscuit" because he finds the food in the life raft, and Joan Collins become "Sea Wife" because she looks like a mermaid when she swims in the ocean.Before the shipwreck, we see all four characters on the boat. Joan Collins is a nun, but her garments are torn off during the disaster, so Richard Burton is unaware of her religious calling when he meets her. Wouldn't it have been an infinitely better story if we didn't see her as a nun in the opening scene? Then, as the romance progresses, we wouldn't understand why she's exercising such willpower. There would be so much more tension if we didn't know her secret. Maybe the only way we'd believe she'd resist Richard Burton in a torn shirt is if we knew she was a nun.Unless you really don't like shipwreck movies, I'd recommend watching this romantic adventure. There's plenty of eye candy, and parts of the story are really thrilling. Plus, it'll keep you talking afterwards about how you could have written a better story!
JohnHowardReid
Producer: André Hakim. A Sumar Films (London) Production. Copyright 1957 by Alma Productions, Inc. Released through 20th Century-Fox. New York opening at RKO neighborhood cinemas: 4 December 1957. U.S. release: August 1957. U.K. release: 6 May 1957. Australian release: 21 November 1957. 7,329 feet. 81 minutes.Based on the 1955 novel, "Sea-Wyf and Biscuit", by J.M. Scott, this movie version is but a pale shadow of the novel, its plot retained but its characters watered down and its conflicts made pointless. Worse still, it is directed and played in the most listlessly lackluster fashion. Yes, a huge disappointment all around. In fact, it's a downright tedious bore, and deserves a prominent place on any gallery of the worst films ever made! OTHER VIEWS: You don't need to bother to see the film. Just look at the poster. Not only does it give the whole story away, it's positively more entertaining than the actual movie. This business on the poster that asks us if the Joan Collins character is a nun, for instance. No need to worry about an answer on that score! Of course, she is! Otherwise, what's the whole point of making this movie?Equally fascinating is this "introducing" Cy Grant business. Never mind about his role in "Safari" (1956). But what happened to him after this disaster in "Sea Wife", that's what I'd like to know? - JHR writing as George Addison.
psmith-691-112444
I found this a rather light-weight and superficial film. The actress who played the Sea Wife was particularly unconvincing.The main story is told in a flashback, which I thought far too long and, thanks to the intriguing start, loses much of its interest, since you spend much of the time anticipating events that happen pretty much as you'd expect. It would have been better to put the start of the film near the end.The ending also seems rather lame (to me, anyway), and the only thing the film really has going for it is the stunning scenery and good camera work.
Sleepy-17
Joan Collins is a nun (!!) shipwrecked on an island with Burton. This movie is hilarious and sexy. Burton as usual is so serious he's got his tongue in his cheek because the script's morality won't let him use it to plow the ever-gorgeous Collins. I haven't seen it for years, but I still use Burton's growling "I love you, Sea Wife" to make my wife laugh. And a note on Collins: Evidently the eternal self-pitier Russell Crowe was upset to see himself compared to her at an awards show. But she is the one who was shamed; she was, is, and will always be wonderful. Enjoy this flick and "Land of the Pharoahs" as proof!
