Ship of Fools (1965): Cast, Box Office & Plot
Ship of Fools is a 1965 romantic drama directed by Stanley Kramer, starring Oskar Werner as Dr. Schumann, Simone Signoret and George Segal. It runs 2 hours 29 minutes and earned $206 worldwide.
- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 29m (149 min)
- Director
- Stanley Kramer
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Stanley Kramer Productions
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Ship of Fools About?
The premise of Ship of Fools without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A diverse group of passengers—including an explorer, a mistress, a vagrant, a loafer, an artist and a tramp—share a table with the captain aboard a ship bound for Europe in the 1930s. The German crew, led by Dr. Schumann, who falls for the mysterious La Condesa, observes this social microcosm. Young American Jenny travels with her lover David and is both fascinated and bewildered by the eclectic fellow travelers.
Ship of Fools Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- 1930s
- breaking the fourth wall
- based on novel
- farm laborer
- captain's table
- hit with a paddle
- hypocrisy
- german nationalism
- prostitution
- water rescue
- implied sex
- athlete
+38 more Show fewer
- dating
- dance troupe
- drug addiction
- birthday party
- injection
- marriage
- loss of virginity
- wheelchair
- ping pong
- snoring
- brushing one's teeth
- cigar smoking
- divorcee
- man overboard
- roommate roommate relationship
- epilogue
- grand hotel format
- hose
- german
- american
- cuba
- nazi
- ship's doctor
- forced kiss
- illness
- saving the life of a dog
- sugar field worker
- waltz
- adultery
- extramarital affair
- piano
- intellectual
- fight
- storytelling
- party hat
- wood carving
- singing
- pajamas
Ship of Fools Cast & Characters
Oskar Werner leads the cast as Dr. Schumann, with Simone Signoret as La Condesa and George Segal as David. Directed by Stanley Kramer; 35 actors are credited in all.
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Director Stanley Kramer
-
Oskar Werner as Dr. Schumann -
Simone Signoret as La Condesa -
George Segal as David - Elizabeth Ashley as Jenny
Also Starring in Ship of Fools
· 31 more- José Ferrer Rieber
- Christiane Schmidtmer Lizzi
- Stanley Adams Hutten
- Lilia Skala Frau Hutten
- Heinz Rühmann Lowenthal
- Michael Dunn Glocken
- Alf Kjellin Freytag
- Gila Golan Elsa
- Vivien Leigh Mary Treadwell
- Lee Marvin Tenny
- Leon Alton Ship Passenger (uncredited)
- Eddie Baker Prizak (uncredited)
- John Wengraf Graf
- Werner Klemperer Lt. Huebner
- BarBara Luna Amparo
- Mushy Callahan Ship Passenger (uncredited)
Show all 35 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Charles Korvin Capt. Thiele
- Kaaren Verne Frau Lutz
- Oscar Beregi Jr. Lutz
- David Renard Woodcarver
- Henry Calvin Fat Man
- José Greco Pepe
- Olga Fabian Frau Schmitt
- Paul Daniel Carlos
- Antonio 'el Bailarín' Gypsy Dancer (uncredited)
- John Alvar Student (uncredited)
- Charles De Vries Johann
- Lydia Torea Pastora
- Rudy Carrela Ric
- Silvia Marino Rac
- Anthony Brand Guitarist
More from Stanley Kramer
More films directed by Stanley Kramer, best-rated first: Inherit the Wind, Judgment at Nuremberg, The Defiant Ones and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.
Ship of Fools Plot Summary
What happens in Ship of Fools from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
The ship’s medical officer, Dr. Schumann Oskar Werner, takes a special interest in La Condesa Simone Signoret, a Spanish countess with an opiate addiction who is being deported from Cuba to a Spanish prison in Tenerife for aiding agitators. As she boards the vessel under police escort, the 600 field workers in steerage, deported to Spain because of the low market price of Cuban sugar, cheer her passage. The Condesa confides in the doctor about the brutal poverty that haunts 5,000 laborers living in squalor, under the patronage of the man she once shared a life of luxury with. She manipulates the doctor to secure drugs, yet their growing bond rests on a shared humanitarian impulse: to treat the steerage passengers as human beings rather than cargo.
Full summary
The whole story of Ship of Fools, scene by scene
Ship of Fools Box Office
Ship of Fools grossed $206 worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$206
- International
- $206
Ship of Fools Trailers & Videos
3 videos: 1 trailer and 2 featurettes.
- Featurette Ship of Fools and Doctor Zhivago Win Cinematography: 1966 Oscars
- Featurette Ship of Fools and Doctor Zhivago Win Art Direction: 1966 Oscars
How Well Do You Know Ship of Fools?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which character is the ship's medical officer?
Cars in Ship of Fools
2 cars on screen: the Renault unknown and the unknown.
-
Renault unknown Minor role -
unknown Minor role
Seen Ship of Fools?
Movies Like Ship of Fools
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Ship Ahoy, The Ship of Condemned Women and Shipmates.
Ship of Fools FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office and post-credit scenes of Ship of Fools, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Ship of Fools?
Ship of Fools runs 2 hours 29 minutes (149 minutes).
When was Ship of Fools released?
Ship of Fools was released on July 29, 1965.
Who directed Ship of Fools?
Ship of Fools was directed by Stanley Kramer.
More films by Stanley Kramer Who is in the cast of Ship of Fools?
Ship of Fools stars Oskar Werner as Dr. Schumann, Simone Signoret as La Condesa and George Segal as David, among 35 credited actors.
How much did Ship of Fools make at the box office?
Ship of Fools grossed $206 worldwide.
Does Ship of Fools have a post-credit scene?
No. Ship of Fools has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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