Moontide (1942)

Moontide (1942)

„Moontide“ is a 1942 romantic drama thriller film directed by Archie Mayo and Fritz Lang. The screenplay by John O’Hara and Nunnally Johnson is based on the 1940 novel of the same name by Willard Robertson.

French-born dock worker Bobo travels from town to town, performing odd jobs and getting drunk. He comes to San Pablo, California, to meet his Irish friend Tiny, who finds jobs for him, and Bobo spends the rest of the night drinking, fighting and flirting with a saloon girl, Mildred.

The next morning, Bobo awakens on a bait barge belonging to Henry Hirota and his son Takeo. Henry explains they met while Bobo was drunk, and that Bobo agreed to work for him.

A policeman, George, comes by because Pop Kelly, a grumpy old sailor whom Bobo also met, was choked to death during the night. Bobo is horrified, for he fears that he may be the culprit.

Bobo and Nutsy, a philosophical night watchman, are walking on the beach when they see a woman trying to drown herself. Bobo rescues her, then protects her from a policeman trying to arrest her for attempting suicide. The woman is a waitress, Anna, bitter about Bobo’s interference.

Anna, who has led a hard life, cheers up the next day and cooks breakfast for Bobo. Bobo fixes Dr. Frank Brothers’ boat. Bobo decides to stay in San Pablo and make a home with Anna. The couple decide to marry.

Tiny implies to Anna that Bobo killed Pop, and that if Anna does not let Bobo go, he will tell the police. Anna questions Bobo about his past and Tiny. Tiny helped Bobo once and has been living off him ever since.

The next day, Nutsy acts as Bobo’s best man, and Reverend Wilson marries Bobo and Anna. Their celebration is cut short by Brothers, whose boat has broken again. Anna is upset by the arrival of Tiny, who is more drunk than usual. She offers to keep paying him money each week, but repulses his attempts to kiss her. Tiny keeps advancing, warning her that she cannot tell Bobo or else he will inform the police that Bobo killed Pop. As he talks, Anna realizes that it was Tiny, not Bobo, who killed Pop, and her accusations enrage him.

When Bobo and Brothers return, they find the badly beaten Anna and rush her to the hospital. Bobo chases Tiny out onto the water break, and Tiny is washed out to sea by the waves. Bobo then returns to the hospital, where Nutsy informs him that Brothers has sent for a specialist and that Anna will live. Later, Brothers brings Anna to the barge, and Bobo carries her over the threshold.

Cast:

• Jean Gabin – Bobo
• Ida Lupino – Anna
• Thomas Mitchell – Tiny
• Claude Rains – Nutsy
• Jerome Cowan – Dr. Frank Brothers
• Helene Reynolds – Woman on Boat
• Ralph Byrd – Rev. Wilson
• William Halligan – Bartender
• Victor Sen Yung – Takeo
• Chester Gan – Henry Hirota
• Robin Raymond – Mildred
• Arthur Aylesworth – Pop Kelly
• Arthur Hohl – Jennings
• John Kelly – Mac
• Ralph Dunn – Policeman
• Tully Marshall – Mr. Simpson
• Tom Dugan – First Waiter (scenes deleted)
• Gertrude Astor – Woman
• Paul E. Burns – Storekeeper
• Forrest Dillon – Harbor Policeman
• Bruce Edwards – Man
• William Forrest – Well-Dressed Man in Bar
• Vera Lewis – Mrs. Simpson
• Tommy Mack – Waiter #2
• Pat McKee – Tough Mug at Bar
• Robert Milasch – Barfly
• Roseanne Murray – Girl on Beach
• Constantine Romanoff – Barfly
• Marion Rosamond – Girl on Beach
• Harry Semels – Waiter
• Charles Tannen – Voice of Radio Broadcaster
• Max Wagner – Fisherman
• Blackie Whiteford – Big guy at bar in opening scene
• Poppy Wilde – Well-Dressed Woman in Bar

„Nacht im Hafen“ (Moontide) ist ein romantischer Drama-Thriller von 1942 unter der Regie von Archie Mayo und Fritz Lang. Das Drehbuch von John O’Hara und Nunnally Johnson basiert auf dem gleichnamigen Roman von Willard Robertson aus dem Jahr 1940.

Der in Frankreich geborene Hafenarbeiter Bobo reist von Stadt zu Stadt, erledigt Gelegenheitsjobs und betrinkt sich. In San Pablo, Kalifornien, trifft er seinen irischen Freund Tiny, der ihm Arbeit besorgt, und Bobo verbringt den Rest der Nacht mit Trinken, Kämpfen und Flirten mit dem Saloon-Mädchen Mildred.

Am nächsten Morgen wacht Bobo auf einem Köderkahn auf, der Henry Hirota und seinem Sohn Takeo gehört. Henry erklärt, dass sie sich kennen gelernt haben, als Bobo betrunken war, und dass Bobo zugestimmt hat, für ihn zu arbeiten.

Ein Polizist, George, kommt vorbei, weil Pop Kelly, ein mürrischer alter Seemann, den Bobo ebenfalls kennengelernt hat, in der Nacht zu Tode gewürgt wurde. Bobo ist entsetzt, denn er befürchtet, dass er der Schuldige sein könnte.