Watch The Eternal Sea For Free

Best movie of this year hands down!

Wow! Such a good movie.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

It's nice to be in a consensus (well, almost!) for once. This is a dull war yarn about a captain who carries on with an artificial limb. It could have been exciting. It could have been moving. It could have been provocative. It could have been heart-warming. But despite the fact that it's a true story, it's not put across with drama, feeling and heart-warming power. Instead, it's just plain dreary. Even an opportunity for a great action sequence is nixed by having that scene take place almost entirely off-camera! Even the acting manages to be dull with Sterling Hayden ruggedly carrying on, while Alexis Smith plays the ever-loving wife with a strictly stiff upper-lip. She's not a real-life person but an animated statue, programmed to give all the approved, flag-waving reactions. Similarly boxed-in is Dean Jagger who is required to play the twinkling-eyed, superior officer friend of the family. And as for the direction: Usually John H. Auer is both interesting and creative. A man to watch – but not in this movie!

If a person looked to the movie poster to show them what the movie would be about, the one for "The Eternal Sea" would seriously mislead them. After all, you see the Rear Admiral (Sterling Hayden) locked in the arms of his wife (Alexis Smith). However, this movie isn't really a romance and the scene has little to do with this film.Instead of a romance, the film is about a career naval officer-- specifically from WWII until 1955. When the film starts, Captain Hoskins (Hayden) is desk-bound and longing to be back in command of a ship since the war is raging. However, when he finally gets a ship after years of waiting, he's severely injured even before he can take actual command of the ship...losing his lower leg in the process. But Hoskins was determined not to be retired and fought the Navy to remain on active duty. But the war ends and so far the film has given the audience little to understand why they made a movie about the guy. His post-WWII career turned out to be far more eventful as he championed jet aircraft on aircraft carriers and took the US fleet into the Korean War. Overall, this is a mildly interesting lower-budgeted bio-pic. Nothing great, nothing bad about the film...just a decent military film with only a reasonable amount of stock footage (a big plus).

Toward the end of Republic Pictures existence with the demise of the B western and the departure of their number one asset John Wayne, the studio did produce some quality if low budget films. The Eternal Sea is one such film and the studio made good use of naval combat footage from World War II and Korea to integrate them into the story.Which is the true story of Admiral John Hoskins who lost a leg during the battle of Leyte Gulf, but fought to stay on in the Navy on active duty and doing more than desk duty. As the story unfolds Hoskins fought to have our aircraft carriers adapted to jet airplanes, a difficult task indeed because naval aviation itself was only slightly over 25 years old and just getting settled into propeller planes.Sterling Hayden plays the courageous and far seeing admiral Hawkins and Alexis Smith his supportive wife who would dearly like to see her man take an honorable retirement. Alexis Smith always had trouble getting cast because she was a tall girl, a first baseman as Bing Crosby said in Here Comes The Groom. No worries here because Sterling Hayden was 6'5" to Alexis's 5'9".Dean Jagger does a nice job in the role of Hayden's superior and mentor. The Eternal Sea is a real inspirational story and was worthy of a bigger studio and budget than Republic Pictures and the money allocated.

For John H. Auer, a triumph.A simple tale, yet profound.Of a real person, facing challenges.John Madison Hoskins, United States Navy, (1898-1964) For Sterling Hayden, as John Hoskins, a wonderful performance, as in all his films.Well supported by Alexis Smith as Mrs Hoskins.Dean Jagger adds another role to his illustrious career, as Thomas L. Semple.Ben Cooper as 'Zuggy' Zugbaum. Ben Cooper, never got the acclaim, for his various characterizations, I believe he deserved.Various costars, Virginia Grey, Hayden Rorke, Douglas Kennedy and Willis Bouchey give good support.Real naval personnel are portrayed.Such as Arthur Dewey Struble.And William F. 'Bull' Halsey.