FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

Pool of London centres on two sailors on shore leave in London. Your choices, then, for what what we’ll be screening on Tuesday 29 April are out of three more films where the locals have no choice but to say, “Hello, sailor!” Up for the vote are..

The Lady from Shanghai (Orson Welles, USA, 1947)

Michael O’Hara (Welles) is an Irish sailor on shore leave in New York, who becomes entangled with the mysterious Elsa Bannister (Rita Hayworth) after rescuing her. Drawn into a web of deceit, murder, and betrayal aboard a yacht voyage, Michael is caught in a deadly love triangle… Orson Welles' noir classic twists reality with iconic, dreamlike visuals.

Night Tide (Curtis Harrington, USA, 1961)

Johnny (Dennis Hopper) is a young sailor on shore leave in Venice Beach, California, when he falls for a mysterious woman named Mora, who performs as a mermaid at a carnival. As their relationship deepens, Johnny becomes entangled in eerie suspicions that Mora may be a real siren responsible for drowning her past lovers… Reality and illusion blur in this obscure cult film, revived in 2020 by director Nicolas Winding Refn.

On the Town (Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly, USA, 1949)

Gene Kelley, Frank Sinatra and Jules Munshin play three sailors on 24-hour shore leave in New York City. Eager for adventure, romance, and fun, they explore the city's sights and meet more than their match in the lively women who sweep them off their feet... One of MGM's great Technicolor musicals blending energetic dance numbers, humour and romance in a joyful celebration of the Big Apple.