The Ghost Ship

This Val Lewton production may not scale the heights of Cat People or I Walked with a Zombie, but it has its impressive moments. A brooding tale of mysterious deaths on board a ship captained by the haunted, moody Dix, it's perhaps most notable for its scene of a sailor crushed to death by an enormous chain in the hold, and for its remarkable narration by a seemingly omniscient deaf-mute. The first, sea-girt half is best, darkly atmospheric and full of pulp poetry; when the story moves ashore, things come down to earth a little, but by then the spell is cast.