The Onedin Line Re-Imagined

A few days ago, my sister and I were watching The Heiress (1949) and seeing the 1850s period costumes and setting reminded me of that excellent 1970s British series The Onedin Line which was also set during that time, except in England not in Washington Square. Then it occurred to me that The Onedin Line would have made a fantastic film in the 1940s and Olivia de Havilland would have been ideally cast as Captain James Onedin's first wife, Anne. Of course, that led to the question of who would have been cast in all of the other roles if this was indeed a Hollywood production from the 1940s.....

Before I get into my casting picks for this imaginary production, check out Wikipedia's summary of the long-running series if you are not familiar with it. Like Upstairs, Downstairs, it will probably be re-vamped into another popular PBS mini-series in the near future but, for now, let's have fun with doing a backdated casting of The Onedin Line. 

James Onedin, who was so perfectly played by Peter Gilmore, would have been the most difficult character to cast. The role called for a man who is headstrong and aggressive and yet very likeable.... such as James Cagney. He would have been a little old for the part in the late 1940s and Onedin is a tall man, so that led me to choose Burt Lancaster. Thanks to the magic of Midjourney, you can picture this choice in the beautiful rendering below. Olivia de Havilland is ideal as his wife Anne. James married her for her dowry but she proved to be such a good wife and business partner that he fell in love with her later. Her father - who liked to tipple - could have been played by Charles Coburn, and Joseph Cotten would have performed the part of James' brother Robert splendidly. 

Now Jame's sister Elizabeth, who was both beautiful and impetuous, could have been played by Lana Turner, and Zachary Scott could have tackled the role of the debonair Mr. Frazer. Lastly, there was Daniel Fogarty, the handsome seaman who loved Elizabeth.... ideally played by Alan Marshall. 

After doing these imaginary castings, I wondered what choices ChatGPT would have made. Every once in a while I like to throw it a question to test its capabilities, so this seemed like a fun question to pose.... and it responded with some surprisingly good picks! 

This is the answer to the question, "If The Onedin Line was a feature film made in 1948, who would you have cast in that film? It could be a British production or a Hollywood production."

That’s a marvelous what-if! The Onedin Line — with its blend of maritime adventure, class struggle, and passionate ambition — would have made a magnificent 1948 feature film, whether produced by Ealing Studios or a Hollywood studio like MGM or Warner Bros.

Let’s imagine two versions — one British (authentic, gritty, and character-driven), and one Hollywood (lavish, romantic, with a stronger focus on spectacle and glamour).

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⚓ British Production (Ealing Studios or Rank Organisation, 1948)

Director: Charles Frend (Scott of the Antarctic) or David Lean (Great Expectations, Oliver Twist)

James Onedin – Trevor Howard
→ Rugged, determined, with that flinty intelligence and undercurrent of pride. Perfect as a man clawing his way up from poverty to respectability.

Anne Webster/Onedin – Jean Simmons
→ Fresh-faced, tender yet strong-willed. She’d bring the quiet emotional backbone that tempers James’s ambition.

Elizabeth Frazer – Valerie Hobson
→ Elegant and high-born, with that refined coolness that makes her both sympathetic and formidable.

Robert Onedin – Michael Redgrave
→ Polished and respectable, in contrast to James’s rougher edge; his moral conflicts would play beautifully in Redgrave’s hands.

Captain Webster (Anne’s father) – Cecil Parker
→ A kindly but stubborn sea captain with a moral compass and a soft spot for his daughter.

Daniel Fogarty – Stewart Granger
→ Handsome, brash, and charming — a perfect rival for James both in love and ambition.

Mrs. Sarah Onedin (James and Robert’s mother) – Flora Robson
→ Warm, weary, and wise — the moral heart of the family.

Music by: Alan Rawsthorne or Ralph Vaughan Williams
→ For sweeping maritime grandeur and emotional resonance.

Cinematography: Guy Green (beautiful North Sea light and dramatic shipboard scenes)

---

🌊 Hollywood Production (Warner Bros or MGM, 1948)

Director: Michael Curtiz (Captain Blood, The Sea Hawk) or Victor Saville (Green Dolphin Street)

James Onedin – Gregory Peck
→ Strong, stoic, with moral gravity and a romantic streak. Perfectly suited to a man rising from sailor to shipowner.

Anne Webster/Onedin – Deborah Kerr
→ Graceful, compassionate, with quiet strength — the ideal moral and emotional counterweight to Peck’s intensity.

Elizabeth Frazer – Greer Garson
→ Elegant and poised, but with hidden vulnerability — she’d elevate Elizabeth’s role into one of quiet tragedy and dignity.

Robert Onedin – David Niven
→ Urbane and slightly superior, but ultimately loyal; a perfect foil to Peck’s intensity.

Captain Webster – Charles Laughton
→ Gruff but warmhearted, with a deep love for the sea. His scenes would be unforgettable.

Daniel Fogarty – Tyrone Power
→ Dashing, ambitious, and romantic — an ideal rival for both Anne’s heart and James’s business.

Mrs. Onedin – Gladys Cooper
→ Regal and reserved, representing the family’s dignity amidst turmoil.

Music by: Erich Wolfgang Korngold
→ Lush, heroic, and sweeping — full of salt air and stormy romance.

Technicolor cinematography by Sol Polito or Jack Cardiff
→ Tall ships in the Mersey glinting under golden sunlight, with lavish seascapes and tempestuous skies.

---

Optional Alternate Visions

• Powell & Pressburger version (1948) – beautifully surreal, with Roger Livesey as James, Wendy Hiller as Anne, and Anton Walbrook as Robert — a more allegorical, poetic take on ambition and love.

• British Lion Studios version (grittier) – Richard Burton as a younger, more volatile James; perhaps made in black and white with a social realist tone, emphasizing class conflict.

---

I like the casting for the Powell and Pressburger and British Lion productions, too. Spot on! Look at the director choices, too. How did it know I was thinking about Green Dolphin Street? Eerie. I then ran this same question in Microsoft's CoPilot to see what it generated and it has some excellent choices, too. Again, it placed the British production first and its Hollywood version second. 

🎬 Hypothetical 1948 Casting for The Onedin Line

🧭 James Onedin – The ambitious, brooding shipping magnate

• Trevor Howard – Known for his intensity and gravitas (Brief Encounter, The Third Man), he'd bring a steely resolve to James.

• Michael Redgrave – A commanding presence with emotional depth, perfect for portraying James’s inner conflicts.

• Stewart Granger – Handsome and charismatic, with a flair for adventure (Scaramouche, King Solomon’s Mines), ideal for the romantic and ruthless aspects of James.

💼 Robert Onedin – The pragmatic, business-minded brother

• Nigel Patrick – Slick and sharp, often cast as urbane professionals, he’d suit Robert’s calculating nature.

• Cecil Parker – For a slightly older take, his dry wit and businesslike demeanor would fit Robert’s role well.

• Jack Hawkins – Solid and dependable, with a commanding voice and presence, he could portray Robert’s more grounded side.

💃 Elizabeth Onedin – The strong-willed sister navigating a patriarchal world

• Deborah Kerr – Elegant and intelligent, with a quiet strength (Black Narcissus, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp).

• Jean Simmons – Youthful but fiery, she could capture Elizabeth’s ambition and emotional complexity.

• Margaret Lockwood – Known for her spirited roles and dramatic flair (The Wicked Lady, The Man in Grey), she’d bring edge and charisma.

🎬 Hypothetical 1948 Hollywood Casting for The Onedin Line

🧭 James Onedin – The ambitious, brooding shipping magnate

• Gregory Peck – Tall, commanding, and morally complex (Captain Horatio Hornblower, Gentleman's Agreement), perfect for a man torn between love and ambition.

• Tyrone Power – Dashing and intense, with a flair for adventure (The Black Swan, Nightmare Alley), ideal for James’s romantic and ruthless sides.

• Humphrey Bogart – For a grittier take, Bogart’s edge and charisma (The Treasure of the Sierra Madre) could make James a darker antihero.

💼 Robert Onedin – The pragmatic, business-minded brother

• Fred MacMurray – Often cast as the affable businessman (Double Indemnity, The Apartment), he’d bring a smooth, calculating charm.

• Edward G. Robinson – Sharp, shrewd, and intense (Key Largo, The Woman in the Window), perfect for a more hard-nosed Robert.

• Joseph Cotten – Thoughtful and understated (Shadow of a Doubt, The Third Man), ideal for a quieter but strategic sibling.

💃 Elizabeth Onedin – The strong-willed sister navigating a patriarchal world

• Olivia de Havilland – Graceful and resilient (The Heiress, To Each His Own), she’d bring depth and dignity to Elizabeth.

• Barbara Stanwyck – Fierce, independent, and emotionally complex (Sorry, Wrong Number, Double Indemnity), perfect for a woman fighting for agency.

• Gene Tierney – Elegant and enigmatic (Laura, Leave Her to Heaven), she’d add mystery and allure to Elizabeth’s arc.

Interestingly, both selected Trevor Howard in the lead, which as you can see in the rendering at the top of the post, does indeed seem to be a good choice. Now we just have to wait five years and by that time I can probably prompt these AI chats to create the whole film. Exciting! 

If you are familiar with The Onedin Line, share your top casting picks in the comment box below. Who would you have cast?

20 Great Little-Known British Films of the 1940s-1960s

The great film studios of England ( Rank Pictures, London Films, Gainsborough Pictures, Ealing Studios, Janus Films ) made so many wonderful pictures that have fallen into obscurity over the years - not so much in England, but certainly here in the States. So to help remedy that situation and expose classic film lovers to some of these hidden gems, here is our selection of twenty great little-known British films of the 1940s-1960s. Most of these films are available on DVD or through streaming services such as Amazon Prime. 

Plot descriptions courtesy of imdb.com, Network DVD, and Renown Pictures. Our comments about the film then follow. 

An Ideal Husband ( 1947 )

A prominent politician is preparing to expose a financial scandal. But then a woman who has invested heavily in the shady venture threatens to uncover a damaging secret in the politician's past if he exposes the speculation as a fraud. His problem is compounded by his wife's intolerance of the slightest character flaws.

"If we men married the women we deserved....we should have a very bad time of it."

Oscar Wilde's sparkling comedy comes alive in this delightful film adaption from Alexander Korda. Paulette Goddard is especially charming as the high-society snake-in-the-grass and the color photography is beautiful. 

While I Live ( 1947 ) 

A young composer and pianist Olwen Trevelyan, troubled and sleepless over her inability to finish the final notes of her composition, falls to her death from the cliffs of Cornwall. As the years pass, Olwen’s sister Julia obsessively keeps her memory alive. The young composer gains posthumous fame because of her tragic death and her haunting, unfinished composition, “The Dream of Olwen.” 25 years later, still mourning the death of her composer sister Julia believes she has returned, reincarnated, in an amnesiac woman who chances upon her house seeking help… Contains the haunting music “The Dream of Olwen” composed by Charles Williams.

This one is indeed haunting, primarily because of its beautiful theme song and its spiritual plot. Sonja Dresdel, who stars as Julia, was a very talented actress who had a great career in films, television, and in theatre in England. 

The Glass Mountain ( 1949 ) 

Featuring the peerless voice of legendary baritone Tito Gobbi, The Glass Mountain is a classic British film romance enriched with the sublime music of Italian opera.

Shot down and badly injured over the Italian alps during the second world war, RAF pilot Richard Wilder (Michael Dennison) is rescued and nursed back to health by Alida (Valentina Cortese), a beautiful young Italian girl. As she shares with him the local fables of the Glass Mountain, they begin to fall in love.

This is another film that benefits greatly from its musical score. This one is written by Nino Rota who is most famous today for his love theme for Romeo and Juliet ( 1968 ). Michael Dennison ( The Importance of Being Earnest ) plays an earnest lover here and the setting of the picture is ideal. 

The Passionate Friends ( 1949 ) 

The Passionate Friends were in love when young but then separated. Mary Justin ( Ann Todd ) later married an older man. Then Mary meets Steven Stratton ( Trevor Howard ) again and they have one last fling together in the Alps.

This is your classic British melodrama weepie. It plays out a lot like Brief Encounter ( 1946 ) only with the added presence of Claude Rains as a jealous/suspicious husband. In this case, he has every right to be suspicious as Mary really is carrying on an affair with her old lover. 

Beautiful cinematography and location filming are an additional plus to this lesser-known classic. 

The Small Back Room ( 1949 ) 

The best bomb disposal officer during World War II was badly injured and is in frequent pain. He finds solace and relief from his pain in the whiskey bottle & the pills that are never far away. A new type of booby-trapped Nazi bomb pushes his nerves & resolution to the limit.

The directing/screenwriting team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger are famous on both sides of the pond but this little gem seems to elude most critics. David Farrar and Kathleen Byron both give excellent performances. You can read our full review of this classic here. 

Ha'Penny Breeze ( 1950 ) 

At the end of the Second World War, David and his Australian friend Johnny return to David's Suffolk village to find the community spent and demoralized. Gradually, however, they gather support for David's scheme to enter a yachting race with a converted fishing smack. Winning it could prove to be a lifeline for the village...

Associated British Pathe made some excellent minor "B" films in the late 1940s-1950s and Ha'Penny Breeze is one of them. This was only the second film that Edwin Richfield had starred in at the time, but he would go on to become a popular character actor in British television appearing in numerous episodes of The Avengers, The Champions, and Doctor Who. 
Philip Green composed a lovely theme for this film which you can hear by clicking on this link.

Last Holiday ( 1950 )

George Bird's rather lonely, anonymous existence as an underappreciated seller of farm machinery is jarred when his physician informs him that he is suffering from the rare malady Lampington's Disease, and only has a few weeks to live. Believing he has nothing to lose, Bird resigns his position and withdraws his modest life savings in order to spend his remaining time in a "posh" seaside resort. There he keeps his own counsel about his condition and meets people who live in a world he could never have imagined existed. Incredibly, he finds personal and professional opportunities now open to him that that he never dreamed would be his, but unfortunately, he is no position to take advantage of them, until fate lends a hand.

Last Holiday features one of Alec Guinness' best performances. It is such a touching story sprinkled with lessons about life, love, and the pursuit of happiness. 

Trio ( 1950 ) 

Three short stories are introduced by author W. Somerset Maugham in the second of his anthology film trilogy. In "The Verger," a church verger of seventeen years is fired by his new straight-laced vicar when it's discovered that he cannot read or write. Forced to make life-altering decisions, the life-long bachelor proposes to his landlady and becomes an entrepreneur. In "Mr. Know-All" an obnoxiously pushy and irrepressibly boorish dealer in jewelry alienates all his fellow passengers on an ocean cruise despite his cheerful nature and generosity, but later is sensitive enough to realize that sacrificing his ego at a key moment is important to a woman's happiness. "The Sanatorium" revolves around the lives of tuberculosis patients at an exclusive Scottish sanatorium including a pair of doomed lovers who choose quality over quantity of life.

William Somerset Maugham's short stories were spotlighted in three entertaining films - Quartet ( 1948 ), this film, and Encore ( 1951 ). Each has their highlights, but we enjoy Trio the best because it features one of our favorite stories, "The Sanatorium", which you can read more about here. 

Street Corner ( 1953 ) 

A pseudo-documentary in style with an emphasis on the daily work and routine of women police built around three different storylines. The first involves 18-year-old Bridget Foster (Peggy Cummins) who is picked up for shoplifting but let off lightly. She has a small child, an often-absent husband and mother-in-law trouble. To compound that she takes up with a petty hoodlum who commits a jewel robbery. The second story tells of a young girl who deserts the Army to marry a boy who needs her and commits bigamy in the process, but it all works out. The third story is about a baby who is mistreated by its father and step-mother, but is reunited, through police work, with its real mother.

Police dramas are always interesting but this one is rare because it focuses on policewomen. Back in the 1950s, they were more popular in England than they were in the United States. Anne Crawford gives a very good performance....as usual. She was an excellent actress. 

Turn the Key Softly ( 1953 ) 

Three women are released from Holloway prison on the same morning into the bustle of post-war London with its trolleybuses and rationing. They meet for a meal in the West End in the evening after a day trying to pick up their lives, and with at least two of them needing to decide whether it is time to start afresh.

From the good ones ( the policewomen of Street Corner ) we turn to the "baddies" - three women who have just been let out of prison. None of them are really bad and all of them have intriguing stories. British cinema featured a number of films with the "tableau" style story plot. You can read our full review of this gem by clicking here. 

The Divided Heart ( 1954 ) 

The Divided Heart engages in a different and movingly direct way with the aftermath of the war, tracing the struggle between two mothers for custody of a boy. Smuggled out of Yugoslavia for safety, and adopted by a German couple, he is reclaimed years later by his birth mother, a survivor of Auschwitz. The play of emotion is delicately handled so that it’s hard not to sympathize equally with the ‘good German’ adoptive parents and with the Yugoslav mother – and indeed with the trio of judges who have to decide. Both Michael Balcon and his wife had a special commitment to this project, and regretted its relative failure at the time, despite good reviews. Sixty years on, it is one of the Ealing films that comes up very fresh and prompts a reassessment of its director Charles Crichton, best known for comedy ( The Lavender Hill Mob, The Titfield Thunderbolt ) but here doing admirable work of a different kind. 

Lease of Life ( 1954 ) 

The parson of a small rural community knows he is dying and this makes him reconsider his life so far and what he can still do to help the community. Lease of Life is among the least dramatic of film titles, and the film itself is one of the most modest of Ealing productions; in his index to ‘British Sound Films’ David Quinlan calls it a ‘sincere, quiet, close-to-dull drama.’ But it is far from dull, if you give it a chance. 

Lease of Life is indeed a very engaging film to watch and Robert Donat gives an excellent performance as the rural parson. It also features a wonderful supporting cast with Kay Walsh and Adrienne Corri. 

The Admirable Crichton ( 1957 )

Lord Loam has modern ideas about his household; he believes in treating his servants as his equals - at least sometimes. His butler, Crichton, still believes that members of the serving class should know their place and be happy there. But when the Loam family are shipwrecked on a desert island with the self-reliant Crichton and between maid Tweeny, the class system is put to the test.

The story premise of a group of individuals stranded on a desert island is not a new one, but The Admirable Crichton is a fresh take on this old idea. It was based on a popular play by J.M Barrie, the author of "Peter Pan", and this film adaptation boasts a wonderful cast which includes Kenneth More as Crichton, Sally Anne Howes, Cecil Parker and Diane Cilento. You can read more about the film here. 

Ice Cold in Alex ( 1958 ) 

A group of Army personnel and nurses attempt a dangerous and arduous trek across the desert of North Africa during World War II. The leader of the team dreams of his ice-cold beer when he reaches Alexandria, but the problems just won't go away.

Ice Cold in Alex is the 1950s version of Humphrey Bogart's Sahara. Sylvia Syms and John Mills were probably two of the biggest box-office stars of the 1950s in England and it was great to see them teamed up in this adventure classic. Also in the cast is Anthony Quayle who not only made six films with Syms but starred with her in a number of television episodes as well ( including one from his own show The Strange Report ). 

Passionate Summer ( 1958 ) 

Set in Jamaica, an island paradise…where human emotions are laid bare under the tropical sun! Douglas Lockwood, (Bill Travers) is a gifted teacher at Leonard Pawley’s experimental school situated in Jamaica. During one summer, a private plane crashes into the mountains a short distance from the school. Lockwood helps rescue passenger Judy Waring (Virginia McKenna) and quickly develops a romantic interest in her while she convalesces at the school. Meanwhile, Leonard Pawley’s wife (Yvonne Mitchell) has her own romantic interest in Lockwood and a love triangle quickly develops. The love interest of the adults and the behavior of the school children see temperatures rise under the burning summer sun.

Passionate Summer certainly brims with passion! The hot locales make all of our leading characters drip in sweat and naturally, this oppressive heat causes their emotions to heat up as well. It is a soap opera alright, but a highly entertaining one. 

Conspiracy of Hearts ( 1960 ) 

In wartime Italy nuns in a convent regularly smuggle Jewish children out of a nearby internment camp. The Italian army officer in charge suspects what may be going on but deliberately turns a blind eye. When the Germans take over the camp security the nuns' activities become far more dangerous.

Betty Box is not a familiar name to American audiences but she - and her husband - were prolific producers and some of the best British films of the 1960s were Box productions. Conspiracy of Hearts is a difficult film to watch because it does not mask the prickly situation these nuns were in and show quite plainly what they had to contend with in getting the youngsters to safety. As you have probably guessed, Yvonne Mitchell is one of our favorite actresses, and she is in this film as well, but it is Lilli Palmer and Slyvia Syms who are the main attractions. Incidentally, this film reunited Mitchell and Syms who starred together in the box-office hit Woman in a Dressing Gown ( 1958 ). 

The Barber of Stamford Hill ( 1962 ) 

Mr. Figg, the barber, is fond of telling customers about his family, but he hasn't really got one - he's a bachelor quite alone in the world. He wants this status to change and soon makes up his mind that he will be a bachelor no longer. 

The Barber of Stamford Hill was originally a half-hour television play that became so popular that its screenwriter stretched it into this marvelous one-hour long film. There are only three principal players in the cast ( John Bennett, Megs Jenkins, Maxwell Shaw ) and each gives a tender performance in this very entertaining film all about character. 

The Fast Lady ( 1962 ) 

Murdoch Troon (Stanley Baxter), a naive Scotsman, puts away his bicycle and attempts to woe the daughter (Julie Christie) of wealthy businessman Charles Chingford (James Robertson Justice) by way of impressing her with a vintage Bentley - The Fast Lady of the title.

The Fast Lady is a fun comedy with a great cast. Stanley Baxter made a number of films but none so entertaining as this one ( although the follow-up, And Father Came Too is quite enjoyable ).

Want to read more? We reviewed this film several years ago and you can read about it here.

Young and Willing ( 1962 ) 

Harry Brown ( Ian McShane ) is a somewhat rough student (the wild) at Kilminster University, who has the ability to win friends, especially the underdogs like Phil ( Sir John Hurt in his introductory movie role ) who doesn't play "rugger", and can't sink a whole pint of beer, and African student Reggie ( Johnny Sekka ). He also has a way with the girls ( the willing ), one of whom is his professor's wife ( Virginia Maskell ), who likes the students, but also her comfortable life with her boring husband more. After Harry is rebuffed, he takes up the challenge to hang a banner from the dangerously crumbling University tower. The rather weak Phil insists on being part of this escapade.

Ian McShane makes an impressive film debut as the young Harry Brown. Young and Willing ( also released under the title The Wild and the Willing ) is not a cheerful picture of university life ( if you want to see a more light-hearted film take a peek at Bachelor of Hearts with Hardy Kruger ) but it is very engrossing. Virginia Maskell was a fine actress of the 1960s who died much too young. She gives an impressive understated performance here as the prof's wife. Also in the cast is a young Samantha Eggar. 

Nobody Runs Forever ( 1968 )

Scobie Malone ( Rod Taylor ), an Australian outback police detective is sent on a special assignment to the UK, to return an Australian citizen ( Christopher Plummer ) accused of murder. Only this is not an ordinary man, he is a UN high commissioner for peace talks taking place in London.

Nobody Runs Forever ( also released as The High Commissioner ) is one of many espionage/thrillers that were released in the wake of James Bond's popularity. Rod Taylor's tough-talking Australian character is quite endearing and this could have been a great start to a series of Scobie Malone pictures. Also in the cast is Franchot Tone in his last screen appearance. The wonderful opening theme was written by Georges Delerue. This is another great Betty Box production. 

To read more about the film, check out our review here. 

This post is our contribution to the 6th Annual Rule Britannia blogathon being hosted by A Shroud of Thoughts. Click on this link to read more posts about British actors and films from the 1920s-2000s. Be sure to search "Rule Britannia" to also read prior entries from this great blogathon.