Lifeboat
1944 · Movie · NR · 96 min · ★ 7.4 · 84% critics
During World War II, survivors find themselves stranded in a lifeboat after their ship is destroyed by a German U-boat. As they struggle to stay afloat and argue over what to do next, one unexpected encounter forces them to question trust, control, and hope as the sea grows harsher.
Based on Lifeboat
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Details
- Years
- 1944
- Release date
- 1944-01-28
- Language
- English
- Rated
- NR
- Runtime
- 96 min
- Critic score
- 84/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.4/10 (480 votes)
- Budget
- $1,590,000
About
You’ll likely enjoy Lifeboat if you like claustrophobic group drama and moral tension in a single setting, since it’s focused and gripping; Not for you if you prefer action-heavy thrills or multiple locations, like Mister Roberts or Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo.
Pros: tight single-location tension; memorable character conflicts; strong wartime drama | Cons: outdated backlot visuals; slow early pacing; moral dilemmas can feel heavy
Themes
- sea
- journalist
- submarine
- boat
- world war ii
- black and white
- lifeboat
- radio operator
Awards & recognition
- National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
- Academy Award — Best Story · 1945 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Director · 1945 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Cinematography, Black-and-White · 1945 · nominated
Cast & crew
Tallulah Bankhead
as Connie Porter
William Bendix
as Gus Smith
Walter Slezak
as Willi
Mary Anderson
as Alice MacKenzie
John Hodiak
as John Kovac
Henry Hull
as Charles J. Rittenhouse
Heather Angel
as Mrs. Higley
Hume Cronyn
as Stanley "Sparks" Garrett
Canada Lee
as Joe Spencer
- WJ
William Yetter Jr.
as Young German Sailor (uncredited)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock