'''Moby Dick''' is a
1956 adaptation of
Herman Melville's novel ''
Moby-Dick''. It was directed by
John Huston with a screenplay by
Ray Bradbury and
John Huston. The film starred
Gregory Peck as
Captain Ahab,
Richard Basehart as
Ishmael,
Leo Genn as
Starbuck,
Friedrich Ledebur as
Queequeg, and
Orson Welles as Father Mapple.
Cast
Crew
Gerald Mitchell- Production Manager
Trivia
★ The film was first shown on
television by the
American Broadcasting Company, on
December 16,
1962.
[1]
★ Much like the titular creature in another cinematic adaptation of a novel featuring a malevolent force that lives in the sea (namely, the great white shark in the movie ''
Jaws''), the mechanical white whale used in the special effects sequences of the film kept developing problems and breaking down.
★ Gregory Peck played the role of Father Mapple in the 1998 television miniseries adaptation of Melville's novel, with
Patrick Stewart as Ahab.
★ Peck was initially surprised to be cast as Ahab (part of the studio's agreement to fund the film was that Huston use a "name" actor as Ahab). Peck later commented that he felt Huston himself should have played Ahab. Ironically, Huston had originally intended to cast his own father, the actor
Walter Huston in the role, but his father had died by the time the film was made.
★ Orson Welles' salary from his cameo as Father Mapple was later used by Welles to fund his own stage production of ''Moby Dick'', in which
Rod Steiger played Captain Ahab.
★ Ray Bradbury's novel ''
Green Shadows, White Whale'' includes a fictionalized version of his writing the screenplay with John Huston in
Ireland.
★ During a meeting to discuss the screenplay, Bradbury informed John Huston that regarding Melville's novel, he had "never been able to read the damned thing".
★ ''
Mad Magazine'' published a satire of the movie, in which they depicted "Father Maplesyrup, an Ex-Sea Captain" turned preacher, giving a sermon on
Jonah and the whale. The magazine comments, "Right off, they give away the whole plot!"
★ This was originally a
Warner Bros. picture; however, this film (as well as the pre-1948 Warner library) ended up being sold to
Associated Artists Productions, which later became
United Artists Television. This would eventually be the only film in the UATV package that would not end up with
Turner Entertainment, and thus UA continues to own this film today.
External links
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