johng

Trying to locate this film but the name has slipped my memory. I am sure it was a British production.

A German battleship/destroyer pulls into a lagoon at some unihabited tropical island for repairs having sustained damage. POWs on board. One escapes on to the adjacent island and starts shooting at the German sailors who are suspended over the side carrying out repairs. Eventually the Germans send a party on to the island.

The significant feature is that the film was made with two different endings. The last time I saw it on TV both endings were screened.

Steve Crook

It's Brown on Resolution from the story by C.S. Forester.

There are two film versions, Brown on Resolution (1935) [AKA Forever England] starring John Mills as Brown.

But the version you are thinking of with the altrernate endings shown is Brown on Resolution (1953) [AKA Single-Handed] starring Jeffrey Hunter as Brown with Wendy Hiller as his mum and Michael Rennie as the Captain.

Although the John Mills version is very good, I think the Jeffrey Hunter version is even better

Steve

CaptainWaggett

This turns up on Film4 quite frequently under the US title Sailor of the King

johng

Many thanks to you both. Yes thats the one I had in mind

Azanti

What was the difference with the two endings?

Steve Crook

In one he survived and collected his medal (a V.C. of course) himself.
In the other he didn't survive and his Mum picked up his medal

They both had a reunion between his Mum and his Captain who was really his father but he was never told.

The way they did the double ending was quite odd.
They first showed the one where he died - sad ending but not unexpected and everyone could be rightly proud of him
But then they put a notice up on the screen to say that patrons of this cinema (or some similar wording) are to be given a special treat and see the other ending and should fill in a card as they leave to say which they prefer. But I think that all extant versions have that double ending

Steve

smiffy

I watched this on Film 4 recently with mrs smiffy ,and I can't recall his mother being at the presentation where he picked up his own VC ,wasn't she still in Canada ?

I May be getting older ,but I refuse to grow up

Steve Crook

Ah yes, so in that ending, where he picked up his medal, his Captain congratulated him but he didn't know the Captain was his father.

It's a while since I've seen it (with either ending )

Steve

smiffy

And Vice Versa , if I remember correctly there was mention that the captain was to visit Canada where he would like to meet the boy's mother .
Where I presumed the truth would be revealed to all parties
I wonder which ending was preffered by the then cinema audience ?
My preference was for the more realistic outcome of him succumbing to his injuries and his mother picking up the VC

I May be getting older ,but I refuse to grow up

ted

The even more realistic ending is in the first version where Brown (John Mills) holds up the repairs to the German battleship until the British arrive and sink it with all hands. Thus nobody ever knows about Brown who dies alone on the island. I always had the impression that the film was loosely connected to the WW1 Falklands battle when the British sunk the German fleet after it had destroyed a British fleet at Coronel.

Ted, Ottawa

Steve Crook

That's the ending in the book. And as Forester first wrote it in 1929, yes, it's set in the first world war. The Royal Navy sunk the Graf Spee in that one as well

Steve

ted

Well, Steve, I haven't seen it since I was seven so I must have gotten it confused with the ending in the book. (Seven was a norful time ago.)

Steve Crook

I think they did use the ending from the book in the John Mills version - that Brown doesn't survive and because the Germans are all killed when their ship is sunk, nobody knows what he did.

The Jeffrey Hunter version has him recognised as a hero - whether he survives or not

Steve

ted

Ah. I misinterpreted your post. I thought you were saying that the grim ending was only in the book. Phew. I have to watch out for senior moments.

Incidentally, I really like the Canadian ensign appearing with my posts. Makes me feel wanted even though I'm in the colonies...

Ted, Ottawa

maturin

Steve,

Just a clarification: as I'm sure you're aware, it was of course the actual Admiral Graf Maximilian von Spee, and both his sons, who got sunk at the Battle of the Falkland Islands, rather than a ship of that name.
Two of the ships von Spee lost were the WW1 cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, so three famous German WW2 ships were named after participants in the battle.

cheers
Richard