German naval officer Karl Ehrlich loves his country but hates Hitler. Busted to the command of a lowly freighter docked in Australia as World War II erupts, Ehrlich must choose: be interned by the British or sail to Germany so his men can determine their own fates. On a foggy night, Ehrlich decides – and casts off!

John Wayne as Ehrlich and Lana Turner as a woman forced into Nazi espionage are a formidable romantic team in this harrowing adventure directed by John Farrow (Wake Island, Hondo). Through a relentless high-seas pursuit, Ehrlich drives his exhausted men (James Arness, Tab Hunter and others). The pursuing British have the navy that rules the waves. The freighter Ergenstrasse has the Duke. Any action fan knows that’s an even – and exciting – match!

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Video Quality

Warner Archive presents The Sea Chase with a stellar 1080p master transfer released in 2017 in its original 2.55:1 Cinemascope aspect ratio sourced from a 2K scan of Interpositive. Warner Archive has stepped up their game more in recent years with more 4K scans when possible, but this transfer stands tall thanks to careful handling from the label. This was shot using WarnerColor, a source notoriously unstable when it comes to the restoration process. Couple this with the Cinemascope photography with its spatial distortion near the edge, and you have a transfer that could have been a mess. Luckily, we have this one looking like a dream.

One of the standout aspects of the film is the sumptuous colors of the island environments and the glorious blue sea that practically leaps off the screen. Black levels are very deep with terrific stability throughout. Detail and clarity are beyond our hopes with the beautiful, natural film grain intact and resolved without a hiccup. The film exhibits no serious signs of damage or debris, with only a handful of shots exhibiting a brief bit of softness likely due to the conditions of the source material or optical transitions. There does not appear to be any unwanted digital nuisances such as compression artifacts, banding, or any other such issues. This presentation offers an exceptional viewing experience from start to finish.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio stereo track that holds up quite well for this period in film. Dialogue and background noises work harmoniously together along with the soaring score from Roy Webb. No sounds ever overpower the exchanges being spoken here. The film is largely dialogue-driven throughout, but some of the crowd moments give the track an enveloping energy. There is no discernible age-related wear and tear to the track such as hissing or popping. Warner Archive has provided a disc that sounds first-rate in all respects. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included for the feature film.

Special Features

Theatrical Trailer: A three-and-a-half-minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

The Sea Chase is a pretty solid outing from John Wayne that works in spite of the performer getting a bit out of his comfort zone. His performance is not the most nuanced, but he uses his natural charisma to achieve what is needed in the role. Lana Turner helps bring some tenderness to the story that keeps you emotionally invested. This is not the most known title for any of these figures, but those who love a good war picture should find things to enjoy. Warner Archive has released a stellar Blu-Ray featuring a formidable A/V presentation but not much in the way of special features. John Wayne fans should have this in their collection. Recommended

The Sea Chase can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.