The Dove (1974 film)
Encyclopedia
The Dove is a 1974 American biographical film directed by Charles Jarrott
. The picture was produced by Gregory Peck
, the third and last feature film he would produce.
The drama is based on the real life experiences of Robin Lee Graham
, a young man who spent five years sailing around the world as a single-handed sailor
, starting when he was 16-years old. The story is adapted from Dove (1972), the book Graham co-wrote about his seafaring experiences with Derek L.T. Gill.
(Joseph Bottoms
), a 16-year-old boy who sets out in a 24-foot sloop
and is determined to be the youngest person to circumnavigate
the world. He's planned the long trip with his sailor father Lyle Graham (John McLiam) for years.
He sets sail on his journey and on one of his stops he meets and falls in love with the gregarious and attractive young woman, Patti Ratteree (Deborah Raffin
). After much banter Patti decides to follow Graham throughout his long journey. She meets him in Fiji
, Australia, South Africa, Panama
, and the Galápagos Islands
.
As he travels around the globe, Graham experiences many adventures on the sea and land as he grows from a teenager to a young adult. Yet Graham finds the trip a very lonely experience, especially when the wind dies on him on the high seas. At one point he badly wants to quit the voyage but Patti (now his new wife) and his father talk him out of it. At the end of the film Graham sails into Los Angeles
with crowds welcoming him home.
carried the story, and he co-wrote a book detailing his journey called Dove. Graham was just sixteen when he set out from Southern California
and headed west in his 24-foot boat. He got married along the way, and after almost five years, sailed back into his home port. After he and his wife Patti attended Stanford University
, they moved to Montana
and settled down.
, South Africa; Darwin, Northern Territory
, Fremantle, Western Australia
; Ecuador
; Fiji
; Los Angeles, California
; Lourenço Marques
, Mozambique
; Panama Canal
, Panama
; South Africa; and Suva, Fiji.
, thought the film was too wholesome, so much so that Sayre wanted harm to come to the characters. Yet she appreciated Sven Nykvist
's cinematography and wrote, "The Dove ... is probably far too wholesome for most of the families I know, although there may be a radiant audience lurking just outside the realms of my acquaintance...Joseph Bottoms, as the young sailor, smiles too much in the first half of the movie; after that, he cries too much. His initial overwhelming sunniness turns the viewer into a sadist: You're glad when his cat gets killed or grateful when a shark appears in the ocean. Deborah Raffin, as his winsome girlfriend, is rarely allowed to stop laughing and wagging her head; the two grin and glow at each other until you yearn for a catastrophe."
Others liked the film. Film critics Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, who reviewed the film much later after the film's release on their website Spirituality and Practice, appreciated the film and its message, and wrote, "Producer Gregory Peck
was perceptive when he decided to make a film based on the true life on the youngest person to circumnavigate the world alone...Graham's exploits and his accompanying struggle to sort out his feelings about himself and his loyalties to family and girlfriend are fascinating and provocative."
The staff at Variety
magazine said, "...an odyssey which provides nautical chills and thrills (as well as breathtaking scenics) aplenty...Pic really takes off when he meets the girl (played with gauche hesitation at first, but then with beauty and considerable charm by Deborah Raffin) ...Their yes-no yes-no-yes affair is nicely handled."
and contained thirteen tracks (00:31:43). On May 1, 2001 a CD was released on the Artemis record label. The song "Sail the Summer Winds", sung by Lyn Paul
, was nominated for a Golden Globe and was a top selling hit in England. It hovered just outside the British Top 50 for four months. The score was written by composer John Barry
. A CD version of the soundtrack with the 13 tracks was released January 28, 2009 by Harkit Records UK.
Side 1
Side 2
Nominations
Charles Jarrott
Charles Jarrott was a British film and television director. He was best known for costume dramas he directed for producer Hal B...
. The picture was produced by Gregory Peck
Gregory Peck
Eldred Gregory Peck was an American actor.One of 20th Century Fox's most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1960s, Peck continued to play important roles well into the 1980s. His notable performances include that of Atticus Finch in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird, for which he won an...
, the third and last feature film he would produce.
The drama is based on the real life experiences of Robin Lee Graham
Robin Lee Graham
Robin Lee Graham is an American sailor. He set out to sail around the world alone as a teenager in the summer of 1965. National Geographic Magazine carried the story, and he co-wrote a book, title Dove, detailing his journey....
, a young man who spent five years sailing around the world as a single-handed sailor
Single-handed sailing
The sport of single-handed sailing or solo sailing is sailing with only one crewmember . The term is usually used with reference to ocean and long-distance sailing, and particularly competitive sailing....
, starting when he was 16-years old. The story is adapted from Dove (1972), the book Graham co-wrote about his seafaring experiences with Derek L.T. Gill.
Plot
The film tells of real-life Robin Lee GrahamRobin Lee Graham
Robin Lee Graham is an American sailor. He set out to sail around the world alone as a teenager in the summer of 1965. National Geographic Magazine carried the story, and he co-wrote a book, title Dove, detailing his journey....
(Joseph Bottoms
Joseph Bottoms
Joseph Bottoms is an American actor who won the 1975 Golden Globe Award for New Star Of The Year - Actor for his role in The Dove...
), a 16-year-old boy who sets out in a 24-foot sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
and is determined to be the youngest person to circumnavigate
Circumnavigation
Circumnavigation – literally, "navigation of a circumference" – refers to travelling all the way around an island, a continent, or the entire planet Earth.- Global circumnavigation :...
the world. He's planned the long trip with his sailor father Lyle Graham (John McLiam) for years.
He sets sail on his journey and on one of his stops he meets and falls in love with the gregarious and attractive young woman, Patti Ratteree (Deborah Raffin
Deborah Raffin
Deborah Iona Raffin is an American film and television actress.Raffin was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Trudy Marshall, a Brooklyn-born former movie actress, and Phillip Jordan Raffin, a restaurateur and meat/brokerage executive.She appeared in several 1970s Hollywood films...
). After much banter Patti decides to follow Graham throughout his long journey. She meets him in Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, Australia, South Africa, Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, and the Galápagos Islands
Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...
.
As he travels around the globe, Graham experiences many adventures on the sea and land as he grows from a teenager to a young adult. Yet Graham finds the trip a very lonely experience, especially when the wind dies on him on the high seas. At one point he badly wants to quit the voyage but Patti (now his new wife) and his father talk him out of it. At the end of the film Graham sails into Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
with crowds welcoming him home.
Cast
- Joseph BottomsJoseph BottomsJoseph Bottoms is an American actor who won the 1975 Golden Globe Award for New Star Of The Year - Actor for his role in The Dove...
as Robin Lee GrahamRobin Lee GrahamRobin Lee Graham is an American sailor. He set out to sail around the world alone as a teenager in the summer of 1965. National Geographic Magazine carried the story, and he co-wrote a book, title Dove, detailing his journey.... - Deborah RaffinDeborah RaffinDeborah Iona Raffin is an American film and television actress.Raffin was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Trudy Marshall, a Brooklyn-born former movie actress, and Phillip Jordan Raffin, a restaurateur and meat/brokerage executive.She appeared in several 1970s Hollywood films...
as Patti Ratteree - John McLiam as Lyle Graham
- Dabney ColemanDabney ColemanDabney Wharton Coleman is an American actor, best known for his roles in 9 to 5, WarGames, You've Got Mail, Sworn to Silence, The Beverly Hillbillies and as the voice of Principal Peter Prickly in Recess and Recess: School's Out.-Early life:Coleman was born in Austin, Texas, the son of Mary...
as Charles Huntley - John AndersonJohn Anderson (actor)-Biography:Born in Clayton, John Anderson grew up in Quincy and Adams County, Illinois.Prior to a prolific acting career, Anderson served in the United States Coast Guard during World War II where he met artist Orazio Fumagalli who became one of his best lifelong friends.He was known for several...
as Mike Turk - Colby Chester as Tom Barkley
- Ivor Barry as Kenniston
- Setoki Ceinaturoga as Young Fijian
- Reverend Nikula as Minister
- Apenisa Naigulevu as Cruise Ship Captain
- John MeillonJohn MeillonJohn Meillon was an Australian actor, most widely known outside Australia for his role as Walter Reilly in the films "Crocodile" Dundee and "Crocodile" Dundee II. He also voiced Victoria Bitter beer commercials until his death.-Biography:Meillon was born in Mosman, Sydney...
as Tim - Gordon Glenwright as Darwin Harbour Master
- Garth MeadeGarth MeadeGarth Meade was a comedian and actor active in Australia from 1970. He had studied classical guitar at the Guildhall, London....
as South African Customs Official - Peter Gwynne as Fred C. Pearson
- Cecily PolsonCecily PolsonCecily Polson is an Australian actress, known for her role as Martha O'Dare in the television series E Street having appeared for its four year run from the pilot in 1989 to 1994...
as Mrs. Castaldi
Basis of film
Robin Lee Graham (born 1949) is a man who set out to sail around the world alone as a teenager in the summer of 1965. National Geographic MagazineNational Geographic Magazine
National Geographic, formerly the National Geographic Magazine, is the official journal of the National Geographic Society. It published its first issue in 1888, just nine months after the Society itself was founded...
carried the story, and he co-wrote a book detailing his journey called Dove. Graham was just sixteen when he set out from Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
and headed west in his 24-foot boat. He got married along the way, and after almost five years, sailed back into his home port. After he and his wife Patti attended Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, they moved to Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
and settled down.
Filming locations
The film is a travelogue of sorts and the producers filmed on location throughout the world. Filming locations include: Cape TownCape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa; Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
, Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
; Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
; Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
; Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
; Lourenço Marques
Maputo
Maputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its...
, Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
; Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
, Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
; South Africa; and Suva, Fiji.
Critical reception
Critic Nora Sayre, film critic for The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, thought the film was too wholesome, so much so that Sayre wanted harm to come to the characters. Yet she appreciated Sven Nykvist
Sven Nykvist
Sven Vilhem Nykvist was a Swedish cinematographer. He worked on over 120 films, but is known especially for his work with director Ingmar Bergman...
's cinematography and wrote, "The Dove ... is probably far too wholesome for most of the families I know, although there may be a radiant audience lurking just outside the realms of my acquaintance...Joseph Bottoms, as the young sailor, smiles too much in the first half of the movie; after that, he cries too much. His initial overwhelming sunniness turns the viewer into a sadist: You're glad when his cat gets killed or grateful when a shark appears in the ocean. Deborah Raffin, as his winsome girlfriend, is rarely allowed to stop laughing and wagging her head; the two grin and glow at each other until you yearn for a catastrophe."
Others liked the film. Film critics Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, who reviewed the film much later after the film's release on their website Spirituality and Practice, appreciated the film and its message, and wrote, "Producer Gregory Peck
Gregory Peck
Eldred Gregory Peck was an American actor.One of 20th Century Fox's most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1960s, Peck continued to play important roles well into the 1980s. His notable performances include that of Atticus Finch in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird, for which he won an...
was perceptive when he decided to make a film based on the true life on the youngest person to circumnavigate the world alone...Graham's exploits and his accompanying struggle to sort out his feelings about himself and his loyalties to family and girlfriend are fascinating and provocative."
The staff at Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
magazine said, "...an odyssey which provides nautical chills and thrills (as well as breathtaking scenics) aplenty...Pic really takes off when he meets the girl (played with gauche hesitation at first, but then with beauty and considerable charm by Deborah Raffin) ...Their yes-no yes-no-yes affair is nicely handled."
Distribution
The film opened in the United States in September 1974. Paramount released a video of the film on April 16, 1996. A DVD of the film has not been released.Soundtrack
An original motion picture soundtrack of the film was released in 1974 by ABC RecordsABC Records
ABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
and contained thirteen tracks (00:31:43). On May 1, 2001 a CD was released on the Artemis record label. The song "Sail the Summer Winds", sung by Lyn Paul
Lyn Paul
Lyn Paul is an English pop singer and actress. She came to fame as a member of the international chart-topping pop group The New Seekers in the early 1970s...
, was nominated for a Golden Globe and was a top selling hit in England. It hovered just outside the British Top 50 for four months. The score was written by composer John Barry
John Barry (composer)
John Barry Prendergast, OBE was an English conductor and composer of film music. He is best known for composing the soundtracks for 12 of the James Bond films between 1962 and 1987...
. A CD version of the soundtrack with the 13 tracks was released January 28, 2009 by Harkit Records UK.
Side 1
- "The Dove (Main Title)" (03:05)
- "Sail The Summer Winds" (Vocal by Lyn Paul) (03:09)
- "Hitch-hike To Darwin" (02:14)
- "Patty and Robin" (02:20)
- "Here There Be Dragons" (02:44)
- "Mozambique" (02:15)
Side 2
- "The Motorbike and the Dove" (01:24)
- "Xing'mombila" (02:09)
- "Alone On The Wide, Wide Sea" (03:52)
- "Porpoise Escort" (02:30)
- "After The Fire" (01:46)
- "Sail The Summer Winds" (Vocal by Lyn Paul) (02:21)
- "The Dove (End Title)" (01:54)
Awards
Wins- Golden Globe AwardGolden Globe AwardThe Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
: Golden Globe; Most Promising Male Newcomer, Joseph Bottoms; 1975.
Nominations
- Golden Globes: Golden Globe; Best Original Song, John Barry (composer) and Don Black (lyricist); for the song "Sail the Summer Winds"; 1975.
External links
- The Schoolboy Circumnavigator at the BlueMoment web site