The Wreck of the Mary Deare

Gary Cooper, Charlton Heston, and Michael Redgrave star in this seafaring drama about the skipper of a sunken ship who stands trial for negligence. In the English Channel, John Sands (Heston), captain of a small rescue ship, finds the freighter Mary Deare drifting. Although there's only a little fire, the whole crew seems to have left the ship--except for its half-crazed captain, Gideon Patch (Cooper). After the ship is scuttled, Patch testifies before a disbelieving court. Determined to prove Patch's innocence, the two captains dive down to the sunken Mary Deare to dredge up the evidence they need.