shipboard noir

This is one of the earliest of the doomed ship movies, with all sorts of moody, expressionist photography, and a collection of mostly very unappealing characters. It gives a good idea how rough life was on a sailing ship in them days, and how rough the crew could be. No similarities to the Titanic movies here!
But the real noteworthy thing about this near-gem in the rough is Lugosi’s performance. First, it’s refreshing to see him in a non-Dracula-like role, even if his accent is a little indeterminate: he slips in and out of American, Brit and Central European. But no matter. He accomplishes his dark turn with really a minimum of words, relying mostly on facial expressions and gestures. Phantom Ship may be no masterpiece, but it’s a creepy little (sort of) thriller, and worth a watch.