Date: December 13, 2007
Contact: Brent Ellis, Park Ranger, 508 255 3421

Duck in out of the winter weather and into the comfort of the newly-appointed and designed theater at Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham to enjoy free, classic movies this winter. Great feature films from the past will be shown on Sundays at 1:00 PM from January 6 through February 10.  The sea has always exerted a heavy influence on the lives of Cape Codders, and these films depict strong relationships between people and the sea. All of the films are noted for their content and theatrical merit.  

January 6: Moby Dick - This 1956 film adaptation of Herman Melville’s 1851 novel tells of the adventures of the wandering sailor, Ishmael, and his voyage on the whaling ship Pequod, commanded by Captain Ahab.  Ishmael soon learns that Ahab does not mean to use the Pequod and her crew to hunt whales for market trade, as whaling ships generally did.  Ahab seeks one specific whale, Moby Dick, a great white whale known throughout the maritime community for his size and ferocity.  In a previous encounter, the whale destroyed Ahab’s boat; in the process, Ahab lost his leg. Ahab intends to exact revenge on the whale.

January 13: Mutiny on the Bounty - This extremely-memorable 1935 film is a compelling adaptation of the true story of sadistic Captain Bligh and Fletcher Christian and their turbulent journey aboard the HMS Bounty and the subsequent mutiny in 1788. 

January 20: Billy Budd - The classic Melville good-evil allegory adapted to film deals with a British warship in the late 1700s, and the struggle between an evil master-at-arms and an innocent young shipmate, Billy Budd.  Billy is tried at sea for the murder of the sadistic first mate and the crew will forever have to live with the decisions made.

January 27: The Old Man and the Sea - This 1958 film is true to Ernest Hemingway’s 1952 novella, which was his last work of fiction.  It tells the story of a Cuban fisherman, Santiago, far out in the Gulf Stream, who hooks a giant marlin and battles sharks and the sea to bring his trophy home.  Symbols of humankind, religion, pride, and a hero facing his own defeat, are present throughout this adventure on the sea.

February 3: Captains Courageous - Based on the Rudyard Kipling novel, this movie tells the story of a rich brat, Harvey Cheyne, who falls overboard from an ocean liner and is rescued by a Portuguese fishing boat. Harvey initially views his 3-month voyage as an unscheduled cab ride. Eventually, he develops a deep friendship with the crew and an unheralded work ethic. The boy’s final bond requires that the seaman all meet with watery disaster.

February 10: PT 109 - This film dramatizes President John F. Kennedy’s World War II experiences in which he captained a PT boat which was sunk by a Japanese destroyer.  It tells the story of his courageous efforts to save his crew, find food and shelter, and search for rescue. In his later life as United States Senator and President of the United States, Kennedy established Cape Cod National Seashore.

Salt Pond Visitor Center is located at Route 6 and Nauset Road in Eastham. The center is open daily except Christmas from 9 AM to 4:30 PM.  Facilities include an outstanding museum containing exhibits and artifacts; orientation films shown regularly throughout the day; a bookstore with books, maps, puzzles, games and other interpretive items; and staff and volunteers to assist with trip planning. For more information about these films and other programs offered by the National Park Service at Cape Cod National Seashore, call 508-255-3421, or go to the seashore’s website, www.nps.gov/caco.

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