MovieChat Forums > Plymouth Adventure (1952) Discussion > MGM's Mayflower. What happened to it?

MGM's Mayflower. What happened to it?

posted 12 years ago by DavidW1947
10 replies | jump to latest

It should be noted that in 1952, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer had a full size reconstruction of the three masted Mayflower built for their epic Technicolor film "Plymouth Adventure", duplicating the sailing vessel's actual dimensions of 90 feet long and 24 feet wide. The total cost for the construction was a staggering $350,000 at 1952 prices (many, many millions today). Does anyone know what became of their replica? Surely it wouldn't have gone for scrap if they spent that much on it. Nearly ten years later, they had another reconstruction built at great cost, this time, of H.M.S. Bounty for their 1962 epic "Mutiny on the Bounty". That one seems to have disappeared, too.

[–] dynmcdi 11 years ago

Unfortunately, the HMS Bounty replica used in that 1962 movie "Mutiny on the Bounty" was LOST, foundered off the Carolina coast in the wake of Hurricane Sandy that hit the NorthEast coast, just 17 days ago. :< Although most of the crew 14 members were rescued by the Coast Guard, the captain was never found and one of the crew who was lost, found days later floating face down in his survivor suit. She was a grand ship, squarerigger and it certainly caused much sorrow for this nautical history fan! :< Don't really know what happened to that replica "Mayflower" ship. Maybe at Mystic Seaport?! I will find out and will advise! Cheers!

[–] DavidW1947 11 years ago

Yes, I watched it on the television news. It was a terrible tragedy, both in loss of life and loss of the 52 years old ship. As it sank in thousands of feet of water, I think that any hopes of it being raised are pretty thin.

[–] pt100 10 years ago

Yes, the loss of that ship was totally inexcusable. They had plenty of warning about the storm, and should have stayed in harbor. A friend of mine was at the harbor when they sailed away, and he couldn't understand how they could set sail in such conditions. Sadly, one of Fletcher Christian's descendents drowned in the tragedy.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] thesnowleopard 9 years ago

I happened to see the Bounty replica back in the late 90s. I was working for the Park Service in maintenance and the ship was apparently heading to Boston for a celebration of the Tall Ships. Gave me a bit of a shock when it came barreling around a promontory off Wellfleet with a good wind behind it at about eight o'clock on a foggy morning. It was a big ship.

Its sinking was a real tragedy, both for the loss of life and the loss of the ship, but, from what I've read, it wasn't an unforeseen one.

Innsmouth Free Press http://www.innsmouthfreepress.com

[–] truwe 11 years ago

The original was apparently one-third the size of the original, and is now at Benjamin's Calabash seafood restaurant in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina:
http://www.originalbenjamins.com/mayflower.php

[–] DavidW1947 11 years ago

Many thanks for the info and the link, truwe. That must be the large model seen in long shots in the film and in the Oscar winning storm sequence. There must have been a full size replica though, for the scenes with the actors filmed on the deck and between decks of the Maylower, ect.

[–] mecrc 11 years ago

Although not a movie replica but for historical value...

Mayflower II

After World War II, an effort began to reenact the voyage of the Mayflower. With cooperation between Project Mayflower and Plimoth Plantation, a speculative replica of the ship was designed by naval architect William A. Baker and launched September 22, 1956 from Devon, England, setting sail in the spring of 1957. Captained by Alan Villiers, the voyage ended in Plymouth Harbor, USA, after 55 days, on June 13, 1957, to great acclaim.
The ship is moored to this day at State Pier in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and is open to visitors.

http://www.plimoth.org/what-see-do/mayflower-ii

[–] DavidW1947 11 years ago

Yes, I rememember watching the report about that on the newsreel at the cinema when I was ten years old in 1957. I hope that Mayflower II wasn't damaged in its harbour during hurricane Sandy. I've seen no reports of it being affected.

[–] Poisoned_Dragon1964 9 years ago

As far as I can tell, it's kept at the Original Benjamin's Calabash Seafood Buffet restaurant in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

I don't think it was completely full-sized. The 1952 Oscar it took was for Best Effects, which was for the model at sea during a storm.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_Adventure#Awards_and_honors
http://fairywinkle.blogspot.com/2009/10/pirates-of-hudson-river.html
http://tinyurl.com/m3ex9j3
http://tinyurl.com/o7gamz5

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