Alec Guinness himself depreciated this film and called it wretched, as something to be disregarded like a sin best forgotten, but it is actually one of his best performances. He is the last of a line of naval heroes who all distinguished themselves in the navy through various centuries, while he can never have a ship of his own, because of acute seasickness at the mere sight of waves. To comfort himself for his catastrophic failure in life, he purchases a pier, which he then puts in order and runs in perfect seriousness as a qualified captain fully aware of his responsibility and duties; and as an ideal captain living up to a serious and difficult command, he turns the pier into an astounding success. But local authorities had wanted to pull it down to make way for other business, and, as it so often happens in British comedies, they turn to dirty tricks to get their way. There are many hilarious scenes of this conflict, while Alec Guinness all the way remains perfectly serious as the absolute perfection of a responsible sea captain, budging at nothing.
Review of All at Sea
