A big budget film, the mercy, directed by james marsh and starring colin firth and rachel weisz, was released on friday. Jun 17, 2016 the highprofile studiocanalbbc films project, directed by james marsh and also starring rachel weisz, had previously been known as the untitled donald crowhurst film. The mercy 2017 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Unsorted provisions and vital equipment were strewn across the deck of the.
Colin firth stars as yachtsman donald crowhurst in the mercy. Trailer out for donald crowhurst biopic, the mercy sailfeed. Donald crowhurst was born in britishcontrolled india, where his father worked on the railways, in 1932. This is a film which really gets to the heart of the people involved. It is based on the true story of the disastrous attempt by the amateur sailor donald crowhurst to complete the sunday times golden globe race in 1968 and his subsequent attempts to cover up his failure. Tragic life of donald crowhurst is becoming a movie. The struggles he confronted on the journey while his family awaited his return is one of the most enduring mysteries of recent times. In the opening scene, he becomes curious about this race. In the window of the local bookshop, a huge poster advertises the book the last strange voyage of donald crowhurst. Crowhurst had entered the race in hopes of winning a cash prize from the sunday times to aid his failing business. This mans story is the basis for the movie the mercy starring colin firth as donald crowhurst and rachel weisz as clare crowhurst with david thewlis as rodney hallworth and ken stott as.
Feb 05, 2018 what happened to donald crowhurst s boat teignmouth electron and where is she now. It sounds like a feelgood story about a plucky adventurer named donald crowhurst. With tilda swinton, donald crowhurst, jean badin, simon russell beale. And now a new feature film, the mercy, starring colin firth as crowhurst. Based on the story of teignmouths crowhurst, who attempted to win a golden globe yacht race in the late sixties, the film tells the story of how. Bbc radio 4 extra the two voyages of donald crowhurst. Horse latitudes was a 1975 television movie about crowhurst called philip stockton in the film. Deep water is mainly the story of one inexperienced hopeful, donald crowhurst, whose life ended in the race, presumably by his own choice. One of two biopics about donald crowhurst slated for release in the uk only a few weeks apart. Colin firth stars in one of two new films about yachtsman crowhurst and his disastrous 1968 roundtheworld race. Donald crowhurst colin firth, ein amateursegler, tritt 1968 beim. Why are film makers obsessed with the story of doomed british sailor donald crowhurst.
Colin firth and rachel weisz star in the mercy debuting in february 2018 and directed by james marsh. Dec 07, 2018 the mercy represents how isolation can influence someones mentality and perspective on life. Doomed sailor donald crowhurst is ripe for a biopic as two rival. The props, the places, even the extras that appear in the mercy hail from the. Many local residents were used as extras and had to dress in 1960s clothing with females wearing their hair into brushed beehives. Discover the delightful south devon town with a starring role in a film about the. The lonely, tragic death at sea of a disgraced sailor. With rachel weisz, colin firth, david thewlis, anna madeley. Deep water follows donald crowhurst, a 36yearold father of four and owner of an ailing marine electronics business, as he attempted to win the fastest voyage prize. The mercy trailer donald crowhurst biopic feb 9 2018. It was while i was researching my book about madness at sea in 2015 that i first heard a movie about donald crowhurst was in the works.
He was one of nine men who set out from the english. Donald crowhurst prior to sailing in the golden globe singlehanded, nonstop race around the world in 1968. Actually its as good an interpretation as any and not dissimilar to the line put forward by paul foot in his dour, scathing 1970 bbc documentary, donald crowhurst sponsored for heroism. Firth was playing amateur yachtsman donald crowhurst, who. Colin firth spends six months in a leaky boat in poignant. Donald crowhurst was a real amateur yachtsman whose. Jan 11, 2016 donald crowhurst project is in postproduction starring colin firth, rachel weisz, david thewlis, genevieve gaunt. Ed caesar described in the independent how the voyage started badly. Crowhurst is a film by simon rumley starring justin salinger. Why are filmmakers obsessed with the story of doomed. The colin in question is colin firth, who plays crowhurst in marshs new film the mercy, a title that takes its name from the sailors maniacal final writings.
Upon returning, crowhurst joined the royal air force, but his military career was a short one. This is the official website of the donald crowhurst family. Donald crowhurst sponsored for heroism 1970 a bbc tv film written and narrated by paul foot and directed by colin thomas. On the most part, the mercy is a good, very good even, film, its best elements. Souvenir hunters have stripped her of her name plates and a. Now, splicing harrowing onboard audio and visual footage of crowhurst with interviews of the sailors friends and family, a film, deep water. While his other competitors were seasoned sailors, crowhurst was an inventor who rarely sailed beyond the harbor of his seaside town. In 2006 the excellent documentary deep water was released. Donald crowhurst 19321969 was a british businessman and amateur sailor who died while competing in the sunday times golden globe race, a singlehanded, roundtheworld yacht race. Now his tale has inspired two movies this year, including a hollywood blockbuster. The other victim has been, for coming on 50 years, his spouse and widow clare crowhurst.
What happened to donald crowhursts boat teignmouth electron. A low budget film maps out the real life story of donald crowhurst who left home the heroic underdog on a competitive roundtheworld boat race and never came back. Crowhurst is the second film in as many months about donald crowhurst s 1968 attempt to sail solo and nonstop around the world. The incredible story of amateur sailor donald crowhurst and his solo attempt to circumnavigate the globe.
What is the mercy about and who was donald crowhurst. It was built to honour the memory of donald crowhurst, inventor, father, husband, adventurer and sailor. A race too far and a book about crowhursts journey are excellent reads which flesh out the detail. Whatever the reason, such was the appeal of this adventure that donald crowhurst colin firth, a mildmannered engineer and indifferent sailor, was willing to risk everything to take to sea. The incredible story of donald crowhurst, an amateur sailor who competed in the 1968 sunday times golden globe race in the hope of becoming the first person in history to singlehandedly circumnavigate the globe without stopping. Why are filmmakers obsessed with the story of doomed british. The film is about donald crowhurst who was born in india in 1932 and moved to england in 1947 when india gained its independence. A second film about donald crowhurst is set to hit the. For 36yearold donald crowhurst, a father of four whose marine electronics business was on shaky ground, the london sunday times golden globe. Donald crowhurst is the subject of a hollywood film but when anita allen rejected his physical advances, he put a knife to her throat and assaulted her, leaving her fearing for her life. Following his academy award nominated film the theory of everything, james marsh directs the incredible true story of donald crowhurst colin firth, an amateur sailor who competed in the 1968. Colin firth and rachel weisz colin firth and rachel weisz film a scene for the as yet untitled donald crowhursr biopic devon, united kingdom wednesday 3rd june 2015 47 pictures.
The colin in question is colin firth, who plays crowhurst in marshs new film the. The story of the amateur sailors illfated entry into the 1968 roundtheworld yacht race. The star who will play donald crowhurst will be immediately recognised by all of you. All that said, you might also find it impossible not to look up what happened to donald crowhurst after you see this film because marsh, working from a script by scott z. The mysterious voyage of donald crowhurst howtheyplay. Donald crowhurst was the victim of a manufactured media event.
The production moved into the house and shot there for several days, including in the crowhurst living room, bedrooms, study and grounds. Colin firth plays donald crowhurst, an englishman who in 1968 entered a roundtheworld boat race. Donald crowhurst was a real amateur yachtsman whose goal was to compete in sailing around the world in the sunday times golden globe race 1969. See inside donald crowhurst s logbooks i am what i am and i see the nature of my offence octobers yachting monthly contains a 10page special on the voyage of donald crowhurst, 40 years after the event. While some may be quick to criticize warhols films and call them boring or. Donald crowhurst and his sea of lies daily mail online. Feb 03, 2018 the boats been found and hes not on it. Sep 24, 2017 worldpremiered last week at oldenburg international film festival, crowhurst is also newsworthy because it coincides with a forthcoming bigscreen dramatization of the same events, the mercy. Family anguish over donald crowhurst films news the.
The mercy, which stars colin firth and rachel weisz, has hit the big screens and is bringing global attention to the south devon town. Everything you need to know about donald crowhurst project. Crowhurst is the second film in as many months about donald crowhursts 1968 attempt to sail solo and nonstop around the world. We may need another biopic to get the full depiction of donald crowhurst s ill fated voyage, but the mercy is more than substantial, remaining an engaging film despite its flaws. Colin firth to play donald crowhurst originally posted by tom lathrop im holding out high hopes for this film but am also prepared to be greatly disappointed based on most of hollywoods sailing fare. Sailor donald crowhurst disappeared during the 1968 golden globe race. She became a ghost ship after crowhurst reported false positions and presumably committed suicide at sea.
Nov 18, 2017 the mercy is an upcoming british biographical drama film, directed by james marsh and written by scott z. Donald crowhurst battles the establishment, his own demons and the elements in the first singlehanded, roundtheworld yacht race in 1968. The sunday times golden globe race was open to allcomers to do the first circumnavigation race of this type. With an unfinished boat and his business and house on the line, donald leaves his wife, clare and their children behind. The mercy is a 2017 british biographical drama film, directed by james marsh and written by scott z. Married with four children, 36yearold donald crowhurst began an incredibly difficult and perilous venture. The other is the mercy 2018, starring colin firth as crowhurst. Colin firth showed off his stunt man skills on location in dorset on tuesday while filming scenes for the new as yet untitled donald crowhurst biopic. It has credibility and substance and i really enjoyed it. Hallworth offered to broker lucrative news, film and publishing deals if crowhurst named his boat after the. The film would tell the reallife story of donald crowhurst, an amateur british sailor who joined an aroundtheworld yacht race in 1968 only to soon find he was out of his depth, attempt to cheat. Donald crowhurst film extras sought with interesting faces.
Colin firth in a truelife drama about a race around the world. Stylistically, however, the russian film is heavy and depressing. Wait and sea clare crowhurst played by rachel weisz, and family wait anxiously for news in the mercy locals were invited to play extras when the film was shot here in 2015. Donald crowhurst film extras sought with interesting. Theres an ineffable sadness to this strange last voyage, particularly revealed in the dvd deep water and elaborated on in eakins retrospective book race too far. Colin firth shows off his stunt man skills on movie set. The film was a tv programme, but it is of a very good documentary standard. What really happened to sailor donald crowhurst on the. Through all the film s bumps and scrapes, firth does invest a. Dec 11, 2017 two movies about the doomed sailor donald crowhurst are coming out in early 2018. An internationally renown film company will be coming to teignmouth from about 18th may 2015 for 9 weeks. Feted as a fearless roundtheworld yachtsman, donald crowhurst was in fact a walter mitty who faked his whole voyage and disappeared when he was about to be exposed.
Mar 23, 2018 trivia all the scenes in the film set in donald crowhurst s house and gardens were actually filmed in the real house. Save donald crowhurst, left, and colin firth in the mercy credit. It is based on the true story of the disastrous attempt by the amateur sailor donald crowhurst to complete. If you have never heard of crowhurst his story was major news at the time, and there have been a various books and documentaries down the years you are about to. The whole story behind the sunday golden globe race of 196869 and in the midst donald crowhurst would be totally noncredible if it wasn. Donald crowhurst was raised in india, where his father had worked on the railways. Crowhurst was finished earlier, but the distributor of the mercy studiocanal bought the distribution rights and delayed the release until the month after that of the other film. In the film, there is one desperate scene in which he. Discover the delightful south devon town with a starring role in a film about the illfated amateur sailor donald crowhurst. What happened to donald crowhurst s boat teignmouth electron and where is she now. Donald crowhurst was disgraced after his lies about sailing around the world were revealed in the times credit.
The teignmouth electron is a 41foot trimaran sailing vessel designed explicitly for donald crowhurst s illfated attempt to sail around the world in the golden globe race of 1968. The donald crowhurst biopic the mercy is now out in cinemas but a second film about the life of the teignmouth man will be released soon. How studiocanal ended up with two movies about the exact. On the last possible day of competition, crowhurst set sail in his illequipped boat. Celuici fait croire quil est toujours en course, alors quil. Follow the fateful voyage of donald crowhurst, an amateur yachtsman who entered a daring and risky nautical challengethe very first solo, nonstop, roundtheworld boat race. The dvd has loads of worthwhile extras including a behind scenes featurettes and very interesting donald featurette. Jul 10, 2011 on july 10, 1969, british sailor donald crowhursts boat was found adrift in the atlantic, ending a bizarre eightmonth fake voyage around the world in a sailing race. Donald crowhurst and his doomed attempt to sail around the. For the documentary film, watch deep water or read the superb book the strange last voyage of donald crowhurst. A second film about donald crowhurst is set to hit the cinema next. What happened to donald crowhursts boat teignmouth. The shops owner, rhona wyatt, was an extra in the film.
Crowhurst spent his childhood there before returning to the familys native britain soon after india gained independence in 1947. The directors, jerry rothwell and louise osmond, had crucial access to the film. While some may be quick to criticize warhols films and call them boring or dull, it must be considered the time. The life and death of donald crowhurst in 1968 an amateur sailor set off on the inaugural solo roundtheworld yacht race. What really happened to sailor donald crowhurst on the voyage that inspired the mercy. The mercy tells the story of how donald crowhurst joined the 1968 race to circumnavigate the world and what happened next. The mercy trailer donald crowhurst biopic feb 9 2018 release some members may not be aware that a film has been made of donald crowhurst played by colin firth who was a teignmouth resident and mysteriously vanished in his illfated attempt to compete in the 1969 sunday times golden globe race. The mercy represents how isolation can influence someones mentality and perspective on life. Alone was a 1979 bbc south west television documentary about crowhurst with investigative journalist jeremy james. In october 1968, donald crowhurst, a 35yearold engineer and father of four, embarked on one of the last great adventures of the 20th century.
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