The Cruel Sea (1953)

Jack Hawkins: Ericson

Photos 

Quotes 

• Norwegian Captain : You are thinking about the men in the water? The men you had to kill?

  Capt. Ericson : The men I had to kill.

  French Captain : It was necessary to do it.

  Norwegian Captain : It is war. There is no blame. But there may be thoughts.

  French Captain : Naturally there may be thoughts.

  Norwegian Captain : And for thoughts, there is gin.

• Capt. Ericson : For us the Battle of the Atlantic was becoming a private war. If you were in it, you knew all about it. You knew how to keep watch on filthy nights, and how to go without sleep, how to bury the dead, and how to die without wasting anyone's time.

• Capt. Ericson : [opening lines as narrator]  This is a story of the Battle of the Atlantic, the story of the ocean, two ships, and a handful of men. The men are the heroes; the heoines the ships. The only villain is the sea, the cruel sea that man has made more cruel.

• Capt. Ericson : [after choosing a battle strategy that has cost lives]  I had to do it!

  Lockhart : Anyway, it's all in the report.

  Capt. Ericson : It was my fault!

  Lockhart : I... I identified it as a submarine. If anyone murdered those men, I did.

  Capt. Ericson : No one murdered them - it's the war, the whole bloody war! We've just got to do these things and say our prayers at the end.

• Capt. Ericson : Steady as she goes, Number One.

• Lockhart : Sir, reports from HQ say that there are five U-boats in this area.

  Capt. Ericson : Five? It was good of them to tell us!

  Lockhart : [Later that evening]  Now they say there are nine U-boats operating around this area.

  Capt. Ericson : Nine? Good grief, we must be very popular this evening!

• Lockhart : [after a battle]  Are you all right?

  Capt. Ericson : No, I don't mind telling you I'm not!

• [Last line in film] 

  Ericson : Finished with main engine.

• Watts : About the revs, sir.

  Capt. Ericson : es. The builders say slow ahead, 35, half a head, 100. - Try that to start with.

  Watts : Aye-aye, sir.

  Capt. Ericson : If I ring "full astern" twice, it means only you can save me.

  Watts : I'll remember that, sir.

  [turns to leave] 

  Watts : I wonder if we'll ever see action in her. My paper says it'll be all over by Easter.