This Republic Pictures military biopic has a lot of heart. The real-life Navy hero, whose life serves as the basis for the story, was a man who faced very difficult odds and overcame them. Any motion picture based on his life would inevitably be emotional and inspiring.
Sterling Hayden who usually starred in westerns and crime flicks, was cast as John Hoskins. Hoskins was still alive when the film was produced. He attended the world premiere in Rhode Island with his wife Sue (played by Alexis Smith on screen).
THE ETERNAL SEA has a lot to recommend it. Besides the two lead stars, who share wonderful chemistry, there are many excellent aerial sequences. The drama goes a bit deeper than the average war film, since Hoskins was disabled while on duty in 1944. He spent the last part of WWII in sick bay, learning how to use a prosthetic leg. As he convalesced and rehabilitated himself, he faced two choices.
The first choice would have been to do what everyone, including his wife, wanted him to do. And that was, simply, to retire. He was only 46 at the time, and the only career he had ever known since age 23 was a career serving in the military. No, he couldn't leave all that behind. The second choice was, basically, not to quit... to stay in the service. Not surprisingly, as a man with his personal strength and ambition, he chose not to retire, but to continue active duty.
We see his ongoing struggles adjusting to his handicap, as well as his determination to prove to others higher up that he's still fit to keep his job. There are some great scenes in the middle of the film where Sterling Hayden gives us glimpses into the man's physical and mental pain. Especially during a moment when he falls off some scaffolding on a ship, and then must get rid of the crutches before an important meeting.
In some regards this is a drama about willpower. It is also a drama about defying the pity and sympathy of others, to prove that a handicap does not have to be debilitating. There's a line of dialogue which says, "I may have lost my foot, but I didn't lose my brain." I can imagine how gratifying it was for Hoskins and his wife to sit through the finished film, which conveys his important message of not giving up.
In addition to the convincing action and motivational message, THE ETERNAL SEA succeeds because it shows the full aspects of a man's life. In a lot of these films, we see the wife at the beginning and at the end, so we know the guy has a family...but the wife is often surplus to the story. Here the filmmakers have done a nice job showing how a man's wife and family are connected to his job. Everything he experiences is communicated back to the wife and reflected through her.
John Hoskins continued to work for the U. S. Navy for another two years after this movie was released. His life served as a positive example to other disabled veterans. And his story still inspires others every time someone watches THE ETERNAL SEA.
Sterling Hayden who usually starred in westerns and crime flicks, was cast as John Hoskins. Hoskins was still alive when the film was produced. He attended the world premiere in Rhode Island with his wife Sue (played by Alexis Smith on screen).
THE ETERNAL SEA has a lot to recommend it. Besides the two lead stars, who share wonderful chemistry, there are many excellent aerial sequences. The drama goes a bit deeper than the average war film, since Hoskins was disabled while on duty in 1944. He spent the last part of WWII in sick bay, learning how to use a prosthetic leg. As he convalesced and rehabilitated himself, he faced two choices.
The first choice would have been to do what everyone, including his wife, wanted him to do. And that was, simply, to retire. He was only 46 at the time, and the only career he had ever known since age 23 was a career serving in the military. No, he couldn't leave all that behind. The second choice was, basically, not to quit... to stay in the service. Not surprisingly, as a man with his personal strength and ambition, he chose not to retire, but to continue active duty.
We see his ongoing struggles adjusting to his handicap, as well as his determination to prove to others higher up that he's still fit to keep his job. There are some great scenes in the middle of the film where Sterling Hayden gives us glimpses into the man's physical and mental pain. Especially during a moment when he falls off some scaffolding on a ship, and then must get rid of the crutches before an important meeting.
In some regards this is a drama about willpower. It is also a drama about defying the pity and sympathy of others, to prove that a handicap does not have to be debilitating. There's a line of dialogue which says, "I may have lost my foot, but I didn't lose my brain." I can imagine how gratifying it was for Hoskins and his wife to sit through the finished film, which conveys his important message of not giving up.
In addition to the convincing action and motivational message, THE ETERNAL SEA succeeds because it shows the full aspects of a man's life. In a lot of these films, we see the wife at the beginning and at the end, so we know the guy has a family...but the wife is often surplus to the story. Here the filmmakers have done a nice job showing how a man's wife and family are connected to his job. Everything he experiences is communicated back to the wife and reflected through her.
John Hoskins continued to work for the U. S. Navy for another two years after this movie was released. His life served as a positive example to other disabled veterans. And his story still inspires others every time someone watches THE ETERNAL SEA.