DVD Corner

Abandon Ship! 4K UHD Review

“Abandon Ship!” is a surprising survival drama. 

Based on the short story “Seven Waves Away” by Richard Sale, 1957’s “Abandon Ship!” begins with a cruise liner hitting an old mine and sinking. 37 passengers manage to survive. A few drift away on a raft while the remaining survivors are in or around a crowded captain’s boat. After the liner’s Captain passes away, executive officer Alec becomes the Captain and takes command of the boat. Julie (a nurse and his lover) is also one of the survivors on board along with everyone from a playwright to a former singer. Alec and company face many problems drifting in the Atlantic Ocean with the presence of sharks, injured passengers, limited food and water and no nearby land. While at sea, Alec has to make many tough choices in order to survive and hopefully find rescue, but are they the right decisions?

With “Abandon Ship!” (also known as “Seven Days From Now” and “Seven Waves Away”), Richard Sale adapts and directs his own short story to great effect. It’s clear after watching this production that no one else is better suited to write and helm it other than the original author. Sale crafted an intense hard hitting survival drama that feels so vastly different from most films of the 50s. Aside from an unnecessary voice over narration at the beginning and end of the film and a resemblance to Alfred Hitchcock’s “Lifeboat,” Sale’s film is a gritty and ahead of its time survival story that takes some unexpectedly non-Hollywood dark turns. Thanks to Sale’s tight and claustrophobic direction, he really puts viewers in the boat themselves as they bear witness to the questionable choices Alec has to make. We know he is a leader who is responsible for the crew, but did he make the right moves in an impossible situation? That’s what every viewer has to think about as the credits roll.

The cast is loaded with talent that include Tyrone Power, Mai Zetterling, Lloyd Nolan, and Stephen Boyd of “Ben-Hur” fame. While Mai Zetterling gives a profoundly strong performance, Tyrone Power truly gives it all here as Alec. It’s a transformative performance and one you will not forget. It just goes to show Power was an underrated actor who had a lot to offer outside of his noted swashbuckling pictures (including the fantastic “The Mark Of Zorro”).

Note: This disc includes the domestic version and the 2 minute longer international version.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.66:1 2160p. How does it look? The B&W film “Abandon Ship!” seems an unlikely candidate for 4K, but I’m glad it got the treatment. Not only is the restoration deeply impressive, but it’s also immersive. If you watch this on a big screen 4K TV at home, you might even get a little seasick yourself. It’s that effective.

Audio Track: 2.0 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? From the splashing of the water to the dialogue, this track is impactful.

Extras include a Digital copy and a commentary by Professor/film scholar Jason A. Ney.

August 5, 2026 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | Abandon Ship! 4K UHD Review, Classic Movie, Seven Days From Now, Seven Waves Away, Survival Drama, Tyrone Power