If you only think of Alec Guinness as a stiff upper lip Englishman, you've got to rent the adorable The Captain's Paradise. He starts the movie as you think of him, as a respectable, strict, no-nonsense sea captain, but as soon as the ship docks, he comes home to Yvonne de Carlo and lets his hair down. He's affectionate, carefree, dances the flamenco, and slaps her bottom.
Is this the typical Alec Guinness movie? Perhaps more than you think, since his happy vignette with Yvonne isn't the end of the movie. The next time the ship docks (in another port) he goes home to Celia Johnson and transforms himself into a respectable English husband. Instead of nightclubbing, he enjoys a homecooked meal and a present of new socks. Alec seemed to get typecast as a man in disguise, didn't he? Even though he dons no physical disguise in this comedy, he still transforms his inner character and leads a double life.
I've been known to compare Alec Guinness and David Niven, and while their roles weren't always interchangeable, this light flick could have easily starred The Niv. Though it's fun to see Alec romancing two women, dancing in a nightclub, and having fun. And it's very funny and true to life when Yvonne and Celia start to become dissatisfied with the roles Alec has laid out for them. Yvonne wants to play housewife, and Celia longs to have a wild evening! Check out The Captain's Paradise if you just watched a heavy drama and need some cheering up.
Is this the typical Alec Guinness movie? Perhaps more than you think, since his happy vignette with Yvonne isn't the end of the movie. The next time the ship docks (in another port) he goes home to Celia Johnson and transforms himself into a respectable English husband. Instead of nightclubbing, he enjoys a homecooked meal and a present of new socks. Alec seemed to get typecast as a man in disguise, didn't he? Even though he dons no physical disguise in this comedy, he still transforms his inner character and leads a double life.
I've been known to compare Alec Guinness and David Niven, and while their roles weren't always interchangeable, this light flick could have easily starred The Niv. Though it's fun to see Alec romancing two women, dancing in a nightclub, and having fun. And it's very funny and true to life when Yvonne and Celia start to become dissatisfied with the roles Alec has laid out for them. Yvonne wants to play housewife, and Celia longs to have a wild evening! Check out The Captain's Paradise if you just watched a heavy drama and need some cheering up.