QHow closely does the movie follow the events on the 'William Brown'?
AThe basic premise -- that of jettisoning passengers from an overcrowded lifeboat -- is intact, however the circumstances have been altered, which is what makes the movie 'based on' rather than 'the story of'' the William Brown. For example, the ship in the movie is called the SS Crescent Star and is a luxury liner carrying 1,156 passengers, whereas the William Brown carried only 65 passengers. The Crescent Star hits a derelict mine that explodes under the keel, breaking the ship in half and sinking her in seven minutes; the William Brown hit an iceberg and took 1-1/2 hours to sink. The Crescent Star goes down in the warm waters of the south Atlantic; the William Brown went down in the icy waters of the north Atlantic, 250 miles from Newfoundland. Although the main character in the movie, Alec Holmes (Tyrone Power) retains the name of the original seaman, Alexander Holmes, the names and identities of all the other characters have been changed.
QWere all those people jettisoned really picked up by the rescue ship?
AIt's hard to tell. Alec clears his eyes several times, suggesting that he can't believe what he's seeing. Some viewers take comfort in believing that the British Soldier rescued all of those who were jettisoned. Other viewers see them as the ghostly spirits of the people tossed overboard. Still others think it was a hallucination on Alec's part, brought on by his sense of guilt and conscience. In the case of the William Brown, no one was picked up other than those in the two lifeboats.
QWhat is 'Abandon Ship' about?
AWhen the luxury liner SS Crescent Star hits a rogue mine in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and sinks in seven minutes, a group of 27 survivors take refuge in a lifeboat made for only nine. The dying captain passes command to executive officer Alec Holmes (Tyrone Power) who finds himself faced with a difficult decision...in order to save some of the survivors, other passengers, mostly the sick and elderly, must be jettisoned. Who is to live and who is to be cast in the water with only a life preserver to save them?
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