Deep Waters ** (1948, Dana Andrews, Jean Peters, Cesar Romero, Dean Stockwell, Anne Revere) – Classic Movie Review 9984

Director Henry King’s minor but appealing 1948 drama Deep Waters is based on the novel Spoonhandle by Ruth Moore, and stars Dean Stockwell, Jean Peters, Dana Andrews and Cesar Romero. It was Oscar nominated for Best Special Effects.

In the simple, old-fashioned story, Stockwell plays 12-year-old Donny Mitchell, a sea-loving orphan who is placed at Mary McKay (Anne Revere)’s home where he steals a camera and is sent to reform school. But state welfare officer Ann Freeman (Jean Peters)’s Maine lobster fisherman boyfriend Hod Stillwell (Dana Andrews) helps the boy and the couple succeed in getting a judge to allow them to adopt him when they get married.

Deep Waters is a thin but sweet family melodrama, with no hard edge or cynicism, but with easygoing, relaxed performances by an attractive cast, and pretty Maine locations, shot in black and white by Joseph LaShelle. Cesar Romero helps too as Stillwell’s Portuguese fishing partner. It is hard to imagine today’s kids liking Deep Waters, but there is still appeal for adults who like the stars.

Also in the cast are Ed Begley, Mae Marsh, Will Geer, Leona Powers, Bruno Wick, Harry Tyler and Cliff Clark.

Deep Waters is directed by Henry King, runs 86 minutes, is made and released by 20th Century Fox, is written by Richard Murphy, based on the novel Spoonhandle by Ruth Moore, is shot in black and white by Joseph LaShelle, is produced by Samuel P Engel and is scored by Cyril J Mockridge.

Dean Stockwell was born on 5 March 1936. In 2015, he retired from acting at age 78 after recovering from a stroke. He is one of the few child actors to succeed in films lifelong and one of the few survivors from the golden age of Hollywood. An ‘avowed environmentalist’, he campaigned for the Democratic Party in the 1992 US presidential election.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9984

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