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Poster of Ship of Fools

Ship of Fools (1965)

“EXPLORER, MISTRESS, VAGRANT, LOAFER, ARTIST, TRAMP ... THEY ARE ALL AT THE CAPTAIN'S TABLE!”

Where to Watch in

Free

Purchase

Where to Watch in

Free

Purchase

Plot

In 1933, a German ocean liner embarks on a twenty-six-day journey from Veracruz, Mexico to Bremerhaven, Germany. This not-so-ordinary voyage is a melting pot of diverse passengers from different walks of life, each harboring their own secrets and desires. Among them is the ship's heart-ailing doctor, Willi Schumann, who is seeking meaning on this, his final voyage, and La Condesa, a Spanish countess and political prisoner, who finds herself entangled in a passionate affair with Willi, much to the skepticism of Captain Thiele, Willi's closest confidant on board. The ship buzzes with an array of intriguing characters, from Mary Treadwell, a middle-aged American divorcée yearning for her lost youth, to Tenny, an ex-baseball player still haunted by his missed shot at fame. A young American couple, David and Jenny, grapple with their contrasting social standings and worldviews, while Jenny curiously observes the diverse tapestry of passengers around her. In the underbelly of the ship, a group of Spanish farm laborers are packed like cattle, destined for Tenerife, where they will disembark and La Condesa will face her prison sentence. Among the first-class passengers, Lowenthal and Glocken, an unlikely pair of a German Jew and a dwarf, find themselves as outsiders, observing the complex social dynamics unfolding around them. The ship is also home to Rieber, an unabashed Nazi sympathizer who dominates over other German passengers, most of whom are too caught up in their own lives or apathetic to the rising political turmoil in their homeland. A troupe of gypsy entertainers further adds to the mix, their leader exploiting the women for his gain. As the ship sails through the vast ocean, this motley crew's encounters, conflicts, and alliances form a microcosm of society, exposing its beauty and its ugliness. And as the journey nears its end, each passenger is left to grapple with what lies beyond the voyage, both their personal futures and the impending upheaval of the world they know.

Where to watch Ship of Fools?

Ship of Fools is a drama movie featuring Vivien Leigh and directed by Stanley Kramer.

Ship of Fools is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Plex, Plex Player and The Roku Channel.

It is also possible to buy Ship of Fools on Amazon Video, Apple TV, DIRECTV, Google Play Movies, Vudu and YouTube.