This week’s mystery movie has been the 1945 Paramount film “Two Years Before the Mast,” with Alan Ladd, Brian Donlevy, William Bendix, Barry Fitzgerald, Howard da Silva, Esther Fernandez, Albert Dekker, Luis Van Rooten, Darryl Hickman, Roman Bohnen, Ray Collins, Theodore Newton, Tom Powers, James Burke and Frank Faylen. The screenplay was by Seton I. Miller and George Bruce from the novel by Richard Henry Dana Jr. Photography was by Ernest Laszlo, art direction by Hans Dreier and Franz Bachelin, photo effects by Gordon Jennings and Dev Jennings, process photography by Farciot Edouart, technical supervision by Capt. Fred F. Ellis B.M.M. (Ret)., set decoration by Bertram Granger, music by Victor Young and costumes by Dorothy O’Hara. The film was directed by John Farrow.
The DVD is commercially available on Universal’s Vault Series from Amazon.
Writing in the New York Times (Sept. 25, 1946), Bosley Crowther said:
Altogether, this Paramount version of “Two Years Before the Mast” is a typical Hollywood packet sailing under papers that have been conveniently forged. And that is the way it must be taken by customers who sign on for the trip. As such, it will generously provide them with some conventional blood-and-thunder thrills, some lurid displays of human torture and some salty glimpses of a ship at sea, for Seton I. Miller, the producer, and John Farrow, the director, have packed them in. They have chartered a studio square-rigger, on which most of the action takes place, and have given particular attention to the cat-o’-nine-tails and the belaying pins.
For Monday, we have a mystery fellow.
Update: This is Luis Van Rooten.
For Tuesday, we have a mystery woman.
Update: This is Esther Fernandez.
Brain Trust roll call: Mike Hawks (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery guest).
For Wednesday, we have a somewhat mysterious lad.
Update: This is Darryl Hickman.
Brain Trust roll call: Mike Hawks (Tuesday’s mystery woman) and Don Danard (Monday’s mystery gent).
For Thursday, we have two non-mysterious gents.
Update: This is Howard da Silva and William Bendix.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and Monday’s, Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mystery lad), Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mystery lad), B.J. Merholz (Wednesday’s mystery lad), Don Danard (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery lad) and Tucson Barbara (mystery movie and Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests).
And for Friday….
Update: This is Frank Faylen.
… also our non-mysterious leading man.
Update: This is Alan Ladd.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery gents), Mary Mallory (mystery movie and Tuesdays and Thursday’s mystery guests), Tucson Barbara (Thursday’s mystery gents), Don Danard (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery gents), Benito (Thursday’s mystery gents), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery gents), McDee (mystery movie and Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests), Lee Ann, Megan and Thom (mystery movie and Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests), Candy C (mystery movie and Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests) and L.C. (mystery movie and mystery cast).
ladailymirror.com 
The Razor’s Edge?
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Interesting guess, but alas I’m afraid not.
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Luis Van Rooten in TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST.
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Robert Armstrong?
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Too easy for a Monday. 🙂
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Esther Fernandez says “Hello America”
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Just a guess…but it looks like Luis Van Rooten.
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Ann Ayers in APACHE TRAIL.
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Tuesday: Esther Fernández in TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST
Wednesday: Darryl Hickman
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Darryl Hickman is all wet.
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Monday: Luis Van Rooten
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Darryl hIckman.
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Could Wednesday’s lad be Scotty Beckett?
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Dwayne or Darryl Hickman?
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A wild guess…….Darryl Hickman
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Two Years Before the Mast
Esther Fernandez; Darryl Hickman
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And the film would be “Two Years Before the Mast”
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Howard Da Silva and William Bendix.
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TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. Carl Voss Monday, Esther Fernandez Tuesday, and Howard Da Silva and William Bendix today.
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Howard Da Silva and William Bendix
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Today it’s Howard da Silva and William Bendix in “Two Years Before the Mast”.
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Howard Da Silva and his baritone
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Howard DaSilva and William Bendix.
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I think Monday’s gent is Duncan Renaldo.
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Alas, I’m afraid not. But that would be interesting.
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Esther Fernandez on Tues, Darryl Hickman on Weds, William Bendix and Howard Da Silva on Thurs. Two Years Before the Mast from 1946
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Two Years Before the Mast, with Esther Fernandez, Darryl Hickman, Howard Da Silva, and William Bendix for Tuesday-Thursday.
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Wednesday – Darryl Hickman
Thursday – Howard Silva & William Bendix
Two Years Before the Mast
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Two Years Before the Mast (1946) w/Darryl Hickman, Alan Ladd, Esther Fernandez, Brian Donlevy, William Bendix, …
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Frank Faylen and Alan Ladd.
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Frank Faylen, Alan Ladd.
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Frank Faylen and Alan Ladd.
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Tues is Esther Fernández and the film is Two Years Before The Mast
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Wen is Darryl Hickman
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Friday #2 is our star, Alan Ladd
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Thurs are Howard Da Silva and William Bendix
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Frank Faylen and Allan Ladd are the two “mystery men” for Friday.
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Frank Faylen and Alan Ladd on Friday.
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Frank Faylen; Alan Ladd
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