Lionel Barrymore's quote

This is a wonderful film, first rate in every department, acting, script, music, direction and photography and certainly one of the best films ever to come from the studios of 20th Century-Fox. Richard Widmark; Lionel Barrymore and Dean Stockwell are a brilliant team in it and it’s a rare example of all the right ingredients coming together at the right time to make a classic film. Dean Stockwell was a really talented American child actor. He was 12 years old when “Down To The Sea In Ships” was filmed in 1948 (it was released in 1949) and he gave a wonderful performance in this beautifully acted and written film about love, friendship and loyalty. It had me in tears before the end, due in no small part to Dean's ability to show real emotion and to cry very convincingly on cue, involving the audience and taking them with him all the way. Not many child actors were in his league. Let's face it, he was brilliant, especially in this picture, which suited him down to the ground and is quite arguably his very best role. Director Henry Hathaway said of Dean's performance in "Down To The Sea In Ships": "He was marvelous...just a great actor...an intense little guy!" A really catchy and effective score by Alfred Newman compliments the film superbly.

However, later on, Dean certainly lost his unique talent that was on display here. He was simply dreadful in his adult roles (compare “Down To The Sea In Ships” with “The Dunwich Horror”, made 22 years later in 1970 and you’ll see what I mean). Whatever he had as a 12 year old, he just didn't have it any more. Dean Stockwell the child actor and Dean Stockwell the adult actor seem to be two different people. In fact, perhaps they are. We do know that after he made his last film in Hollywood in 1950, Dean Stockwell disappeared for six years and reappeared in 1956 to make "Gun For a Coward". His acting style and facial features in that Western bear no resemblance to Dean Stockwell the child star of "Down to the Sea In Ships" made only eight years earlier. There's a bit of a mystery there. I mean, people do change in their looks as they grow older, but not to that extent. For one thing, the eyes are all wrong. I remember once watching "Gun For a Coward" on television with a friend...a film that was made eight years after "Down To The Sea In Ships" and my friend remarked: "That's not Dean Stockwell, is it?" "Well", I replied, "that's what it says on the opening titles". "I don't care what it says on the opening titles", he said, "that's not Dean Stockwell...just some guy using the same name!"