Rulers of the Sea

(1939)

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| Film | USA | B&W | Drama | 1h 37min |
U
| Stars: Douglas Fairbanks Jr, Margaret Lockwood, Will Fyffe | Director: Frank Lloyd

Problems surround the first steamship voyage across the Atlantic

Following a preventable tragedy at sea, First Mate Davie Gillespie disembarks the sailing ship Falcon in Greenock, Scotland.

Disgusted with the heartless profit-driven and unsafe ship owners and captains, Gillespie seeks out his own captaincy.

Falling in with Scots engineer John Shaw and his daughter, Mary, Gillespie is convinced of Shaw’s plans for the first steamship to cross the Atlantic; but will anyone be far-sighted enough to invest in the new technology?

Cast

(20)
Man of the Moment (1935) opening credits (6) | Douglas Fairbanks Jr
Douglas Fairbanks Jr
David Gillespie
Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (9)
Mary Shaw
Will Fyffe (as Aeneas McGrath) in a screenshot from The Brothers (1947) (2)
John Shaw
George Bancroft
Capt Oliver
Montagu Love
Malcolm Grant
Vaughan Glaser
Junius Smith
David Torrence
Donald Fenton
Lester Matthews
Lt Roberts
Alec Craig
Foreman
Barlowe Borland
Magistrate
Wilson Benge
Campbell
Harry Allen
Murdock
Barry Macollum
Miller
Dennis D’Auburn
First Office Lewis
David Clyde
Second Mate Evans
Charles McAvoy
O’Brien
Alan Ladd
Colin Farrell
Lawrence Grant
Mr. Negley
John Power
Captain of ‘Dog Star’
William Haade
A Stoker
+ Show full cast (10 more)

Film clips

(1)
Main title from Rulers of the Sea (1939)

Rulers of the Sea (1939) opening credits

Date published

Main title from Rulers of the Sea (1939).

Pictures

(75)
Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (1)
Dance in cotton is Hollywood’s fashion slogan straight through the summer. Margaret Lockwood, now in Paramount’s Rulers of the Seas, wears this beguiling, slim dance dress of white cross-bar muslin with a high waistline and narrow shoulder straps. If the mood permits, Miss Lockwood may wear a brief bolero of bright cerise quilted taffeta, which serves smartly as a youthful wrap.
Lovely Margaret Lockwood, brunette English actress with but one Hollywood picture to her credit previously, plays the feminine lead opposite Douglas Fairbanks Jnr. in Paramount’s new Frank Lloyd production, Rulers of the Seas. Third featured player is Will Fyffe, noted Scottish character actor.
Gains Acting Plum – Winning candidate in an exhaustive series of screen tests, Margaret Lockwood, brunette English actress with but one Hollywood picture to her credit previously, is the romantic female lead in the cast of ‘Rulers of the Sea’, Paramount’s new Frank Lloyd production.
Margaret Lockwood, typical young English girl, who plays Will Fyffe’s daughter as she did in the London-made ‘To the Victor’.
Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (36)
Margaret Lockwood enjoys a swim in Hollywood while on a break from filming Rulers of the Sea
Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (34)
Mexican lobby card from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (5)
Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (33)
Will Fyffe (as John Shaw) and Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (32)
Will Fyffe (as John Shaw) and Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (31)
Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (30)
Poster for Rulers of the Sea (1939) (13)
Photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (29)
Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw) and Will Fyffe (as John Shaw) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (28)
Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw), Douglas Fairbanks Jr (as David ‘Davie’ Gillespie) and Will Fyffe (as John Shaw) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (27)
Will Fyffe (as John Shaw) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (26)
Margaret Lockwood in a publicity shot from Rulers of the Sea
Italian lobby card from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (1)
Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (24)
Douglas Fairbanks Jr (as David ‘Davie’ Gillespie) and Will Fyffe (as John Shaw) in a screenshot from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (2)
Douglas Fairbanks Jr (as David ‘Davie’ Gillespie) and Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw) in a screenshot from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (1)
Main title from Rulers of the Sea (1939)
Douglas Fairbanks Jr (as David ‘Davie’ Gillespie) and Will Fyffe (as John Shaw) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (23)
Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (22)
Spanish poster for Rulers of the Sea (1939) (2)
Douglas Fairbanks Jr (as David ‘Davie’ Gillespie) and Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (21)
Poster for Rulers of the Sea (1939) (12)
Will Fyffe, Margaret Lockwood and Douglas Fairbanks Jnr. look on as director Frank Lloyd shows off a model from Rulers of the Sea
Frank Lloyd cuts an anachronistic figure as he takes a telephone call during the filming of Rulers of the Sea
Mexican lobby card from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (4)
Poster for Rulers of the Sea (1939) (11)
Douglas Fairbanks Jr (as David ‘Davie’ Gillespie) and Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (18)
Mexican lobby card from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (3)
Frank Lloyd, director, and Margaret Lockwood relax in their chairs during filming of Rulers of the Sea
Poster for Rulers of the Sea (1939) (10)
Poster for Rulers of the Sea (1939) (9)
Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw), Douglas Fairbanks Jr (as David ‘Davie’ Gillespie) and Will Fyffe (as John Shaw) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (16)
Family Circle magazine with Margaret Lockwood, Douglas Fairbanks, and Jr in Rulers of the Sea. 20th October, 1939, volume 15, issue number 16.
Picture Show and Film Pictorial magazine with Douglas Fairbanks, Jr, and Margaret Lockwood in Rulers of the Sea. 30th December, 1939. A happy Christmas to all our readers.
Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw) and Will Fyffe (as John Shaw) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (15)
Douglas Fairbanks Jr (as David ‘Davie’ Gillespie), Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw) and Will Fyffe (as John Shaw) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (14)
Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw) and Will Fyffe (as John Shaw) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (13)
Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw) and Douglas Fairbanks Jr (as David ‘Davie’ Gillespie) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (12)
Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw) and Douglas Fairbanks Jr (as David ‘Davie’ Gillespie) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (11)
Poster for Rulers of the Sea (1939) (8)
Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (10)
Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (9)
French pressbook for Rulers of the Sea (1939) (1)
Chinese poster for Rulers of the Sea (1939) (1)
Brazilian poster for Rulers of the Sea (1939) (1)
Mexican lobby card from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (2)
Mexican lobby card from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (1)
Spanish poster for Rulers of the Sea (1939) (1)
Poster for Rulers of the Sea (1939) (7)
Lobby card from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (6)
Lobby card from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (5)
Lobby card from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (4)
Lobby card from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (3)
Lobby card from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (2)
Lobby card from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (1)
Poster for Rulers of the Sea (1939) (6)
Poster for Rulers of the Sea (1939) (5)
Poster for Rulers of the Sea (1939) (4)
Poster for Rulers of the Sea (1939) (3)
Poster for Rulers of the Sea (1939) (2)
Poster for Rulers of the Sea (1939) (1)
Douglas Fairbanks Jr (as David ‘Davie’ Gillespie) and Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (8)
Douglas Fairbanks Jr (as David ‘Davie’ Gillespie) and Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (7)
Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (6)
Douglas Fairbanks Jr (as David ‘Davie’ Gillespie) and Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (5)
Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw), Will Fyffe (as John Shaw) and Douglas Fairbanks Jr (as David ‘Davie’ Gillespie) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (4)
Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw) and Will Fyffe (as John Shaw) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (3)
Margaret Lockwood (as Mary Shaw) and Douglas Fairbanks Jr (as David ‘Davie’ Gillespie) in a photograph from Rulers of the Sea (1939) (2)

Production

(4)
Frank Lloyd
Director / Producer
Frank Cavett
Writer
Talbot Jennings
Writer (story and screenplay)
Richard Collins
Writer (story and screenplay)

Companies

(2)
Paramount Pictures
Production company
Paramount British Pictures
Distribution company