Dangerous Voyage

This 1954 movie from The British Film Collection does unfortunately not live up to its promising title. The action, if you can call it that, takes place far and in between and the script is a wasted opportunity for something that could have been a fast paced little thriller!

When siblings Joan (Naomi Chance) and John Drew (Vincent Ball) come to the rescue of a yacht drifting along the white cliffs of Dover, they are only too pleased that by doing so they have seemingly saved the lives of the two men aboard. No sooner are they in the harbour then two men vanishe without a trace, save for a shoe! Enter American pulp fiction novelist Peter Duncan (William Lundigan), who has come to old Blighty for fresh inspiration. Intrigued about what he reads in the local newspaper, he decides to visit the siblings under the pretence of possibly wishing to purchase the strange yacht in question. In order to get the necessary paperwork sorted, they need to trace the boat’s initial owner – a task that turns out more difficult than expected.

Eventually the trace to the previous owner leads across the channel direction France, Trouville to be precise, where they encounter a mysterious beauty who seems to know more than she lets on. When the investigating trio walk about the cobblestoned streets to enjoy the sights on their ‘day out’, bullets are suddenly shot at them from a window above… It now becomes clear that someone somewhere out there doesn’t want them to find out who the yacht’s owner is, and it is concluded that the deserted yacht may have been used for the purpose of smuggling goods. As it transpires when Duncan and John develop curious gamma-ray burns on their arms, the yacht was indeed used for smuggling – namely stolen uranium. Whilst a romance between pulp fiction aficionado Duncan and Joan begins to develop, so does a frantic chase for the escaped two men from the drifting yacht…

This could have been a good one, even on a low budget. Unfortunately, too much time is wasted on chat and speculation between the three main protagonists, and panoramic shots of the Dover coastline.

The brand-new transfer of Dangerous Voyage has the following DVD Special Features:

• Original theatrical trailer
• Image gallery
• Instant play facility