In the summer of 1947 Henry King, one of Hollywood’s top directors, flew his plane over 1,000 miles along the Maine coastline, searching for just the right spot for his next film. An experienced pilot, King first observed Vinalhaven through a break in the clouds.
Sixty years ago Henry King was considered by many to be “the father of location.”
“If the story is set in Maine, we’ll shoot the picture in Maine,” King announced when he first saw the script of “Deep Waters.”
To King, “on location” meant exactly that. In this case he was looking for a typical Maine lobster village. After giving careful consideration to Bar Harbor, Southwest Harbor and Port Clyde, King found the spot he was looking for and selected Vinalhaven.
“This is a wonderful spot,” he is reported to have said. “Look at this natural setting we are shooting today,” he declared as he swept his arm in the direction of the Stanton Strawson house on the western side of the island. “If I had set this up in California they would have told me it was too Hollywood.”
Strawson’s son Fred recalled recently that his father was “so pleased and flattered to have to have his house selected that he accepted no money.” Unfortunately the dock and float that were built for the film had washed away by the following summer.
“Deep Waters” is loosely based on the best-selling novel Spoonhandle by Ruth Moore, who grew up on Gott’s Island, south of Mt. Desert. Scriptwriters changed the name of the film to “Deep Waters,” explaining that the book’s title Spoonhandle was not descriptive enough unless one had read the novel. The screenplay is about an orphan boy (Dean Stockwell) who is placed in a foster home by a welfare worker (Jean Peters). Two fishermen, played by Dana Andrews and Cesar Romero, provide role models for the troubled youngster, who has been caught stealing and is sent to a reform school in South Portland. As the story unfolds, Stockwell develops a love for the sea and lobstering while Andrews and Peters are falling in love with each other.
In addition to popular actors Cesar Romero and Dana Andrews, the film featured 21-year old newcomer Jean Peters making only her second film. Peters, “discovered” by Howard Hughes whom she later married, had just finished playing opposite Tyrone Power in “The Captain From Castile.” World War II veteran Romero had seen combat in the Pacific before being mustered out in 1945. Dana Andrews had just finished an intense, highly charged movie, “Daisy Kenyon,” with Joan Crawford. Although he had never been to Maine, Andrews owned three boats and spent almost all of his free time on the water. He and Romero loved to play hooky and go lobstering with local fishermen.
Ten-year-old Dean Stockwell played the orphan boy Danny Mitchell. Stockwell was already an established child star, with 16 movies to his credit. After spending a few days on the island, he was ready to forsake his Hollywood career and become a lobsterman. Stockwell’s stand-in was 12-year old Johnny Bickford, a lifelong Vinalhaven resident. Another well-known cast member was Hollywood’s perennial mother figure, Anne Revere, who played the role of Dean’s guardian in the movie. As recently as 1945, she had won an Academy Award for best supporting actress in “National Velvet.”
The filming took place in October of 1947, when most summer people had left the island, although it was not released until 1948. Vinalhaven residents were thrilled by the reality of a Hollywood production. Director King spread the word that everyone was welcome to watch the shooting, and many were included as extras in various scenes. Island residents opened their doors to house and feed cast and crew. “Why they’re just like we are,” was the general feeling. Except for Sundays when most stores were closed, cast members joined into town life eating ice cream at White’s Drug Store, bowling and going to Saturday night dances. Andrews and Romero even persuaded the pool hall operator to stay open till 11:00 pm, well past the usual closing hour. The visitors were also delighted by the price of lobsters, 30c a pound, which compared favorably to West Coast prices, $4.50 for a lobster dinner.
One of the popular stories stemming from the 27 days of filming on the island had to do with director King’s passion for authenticity. This occurred when a local lobsterman, Lester Dyer, broke out laughing when he saw the shiny new boots Cesar Romero and other fishermen actors were wearing. “What’s so funny”, King asked. Les replied that he’d been fishing for 40 years and he’d never seen fishermen with such new boots. Thinking it over the director was inclined to agree. “Where can I get my hands on a dozen pair of beat-up rubber boots?” he asked. “Give me and the boys about five minutes and we can work something out,” Les replied. “And that was how it came to pass that the Hollywood crew got their beat-up boots and the local boys went to sea the next day outfitted in spanking new ones,” reported Down East magazine. Incidentally, from then on Les Dyer was on the payroll as a paid consultant.
In 1948 “Deep Waters” was nominated for two Academy Awards; Best Visual Effects and Best Special Effects.
There will be a commemorative showing of “Deep Waters” at Vinalhaven High School on Aug. 8 and a showing of the documentary “The Making of Deep Waters” at the high school on Aug. 15.