Moby Dick, 1956 film classic for Herman Melville Day at The Park
Moby Dick, 1956 film classic for Herman Melville Day at The Park
John Huston’s sweeping 1956 adaptation of Herman Melville’s immortal novel stars Gregory Peck as Captain Ahab, the scarred and fanatical commander of the Pequod. Narrated by young seaman Ishmael (Richard Basehart), the story follows Ahab’s relentless pursuit of Moby Dick—the enormous white whale that cost him his leg. As the voyage carries the crew farther into dangerous waters, Ahab’s thirst for vengeance becomes an all-consuming obsession that threatens every man aboard. Huston combines spectacular seafaring adventure with the haunting, mythic power of Melville’s tale.
Directed and produced by John Huston, who won the NY Film Critics Award for Best Director, and co-written by Huston and Ray Bradbury, the movie was filmed in richly textured color that recalls 19th-century whaling prints. The exceptional cast also includes Orson Welles as Father Mapple and Harry Andrews as Second Mate Stubb. See this epic adventure as it was meant to be experienced—on the giant screen in The Park Theatre’s 330-seat Eppes Auditorium, with immersive 17-speaker surround sound.