NOTES: Gary Cooper's second last film. He returned to England for "The Naked Edge" (1961), which was also directed by Michael Anderson.COMMENT: Most of us are suckers for sagas of the sea, and this one, as scripted by Eric Ambler from a Hammond Innes novel, offers us most of the standard ingredients that we expect and enjoy: a seemingly deserted ghost ship, mysteriously abandoned by her crew; a wreck; underwater thrills; a prejudiced court of inquiry where things go horribly wrong for our hero; the cowardly captain who didn't go down with his ship, now spurned by his former comrades; an evil mate, spurring on a mutinous crew; salvage and greed. Yes, these are the mainstays of many another nautical tale from "Reap the Wild Wind" to "Captain China" via "Johnny Angel". So what's so special about "Mary Deare?"Mostly the cast. Gary Cooper is just perfect as the victimized mate-turned-captain, while Charlton Heston makes a solid counterpoint. The strong support cast includes such favorites as Michael Redgrave (chillingly persuasive), Cecil Parker (a stickler of a blusterer with the brains of a cabbage), Virginia McKenna (an ambivalent but completely credible "heroine" whose role is small but effective), and Ben Wright (Heston's cautious partner). But the picture's stand-out performance comes not from any of the above worthies but from Emlyn Williams. The distinguished playwright/actor (Night Must Fall) turns the courtroom scene, in which he makes mincemeat out of Cooper, into the picture's most exciting sequence. Yes, thanks to Williams' incisive portrayal (and the probing dialogue handed to him), the court scene, not the action episodes, are what every picturegoer remembers about "The Wreck of the Mary Deare". This is not to say that the movie doesn't have its fair share of action. It does. The climax will have you on the edge of your seat.

This is a great film Classic because of the great contributions that Gary Cooper gave to Hollywood on the silver screen and all his fans from the past and present. Charlton Heston, (John Sands), "Gideon",'99, gave a great supporting role as a salvage specialist who had great interests in the Mary Deare. However, Gary Cooper, (Gideon Patch), "The Naked Edge",'61, was the Captain in charge and had other ideas what he was going to do with his ship and a deep dark secret that was laying at the bottom of the ship. There is a great mystery looking at the foggy scenes of a ship fighting against the horrible waves of a rough ocean, with no course in sight. Virginia McKenna, (Janet Taggart), "Born Free",'66, was the daughter of the former Captain of the Mary Deare and had a very important letter from her dad that could possibly help Gideon Patch. This is by no means a typical sea story, there is plenty of meaning and depth to this entire picture. Enjoy good Acting from beginning to the very end.

Really good, sound drama with Gary Cooper and Charleton Heston involving the world of shipping and salvage. From the raging sea to the eeryness of an empty ship, to the court room and back it maintains a very good pace.

The freighter 'Mary Deare' is set afire and abandoned by its crew during a storm on the English Channel... Gary Cooper is the only man aboard, until he is joined by Charlton Heston, whose vessel has been rammed through one night by the freighter... Heston is in the ship salvaging business and runs a tug called the Sea Witch... He believes that mysterious events occur on this boat... Cooper is deliberately trying to wreck the ship...At a London Court of Inquiry, Cooper is faced by many accusers and the mystery of the 'Mary Deare' becomes a major news item...At first, Cooper does little to aid himself, giving only evasive testimony... Finally, he and Heston swim beneath the wreckage on the reefs in search of evidence... 'Wreck of the Mary Deare' is really Cooper's film... His performance is strong but is possessed of a fanatic determination that carries through and works... Heston's role, that of the devil's advocate, is well played, although there is little to work with in terms of character... As opposed to Cooper who is out to redeem his name, lost by the suspicious murder of the ship's original captain, Heston's John Sands is a marvelous counterpart... All he is interested in is getting the salvage rights to shipping wrecks... He becomes involved in Cooper's situation but is emotionally impartial, being circumstantially tied to the situation, until he finally realizes that the man may be right justice, somehow, at this point overtakes Heston's preoccupation with making money and he becomes a more rounded character...I liked the scene when an evasive Cooper asks Heston not to tell the investigators that the ship is grounded... Heston asks, "Give me one reason I should trust you," and Cooper answers desperately, 'When you were dangling on the end of a rope over the side of the ship, you trusted me. Now," he continues, "I'm on the end of a rope. Do I have to beg you, Mr. Sands?"Heston says nothing, and when Mr. Petrie, the owners' investigator (played by Alexander Knox) starts asking questions, all Heston will say is that the forward bulkhead went and the ship could not be saved... He avoids the issue of the sinking, and Petrie sees through this immediately... Heston is uncomfortable having lied, but Cooper insists that the ship's location be kept a secret until the court of inquiry has had a chance to examine the wreck... Cooper won't tell Heston why he asks this favor...Based on a novel by adventure-master Hammond Innes, 'The Wreck of the Mary Deare' is a good film, curious, star amalgam of sea saga action and courtroom melodrama (originally intended for Hitchcock) with fine suspense values, good color photography and an able cast...Look for Richard Harris (1930-2002) who quickly earned a reputation as an interesting performer precisely in 'The Wreck of the Mary Deare,' 'The Guns of Navarone,' and 'Mutiny on the Bounty.'