Another Shore


Another Shore is a 1948 Ealing Studios comedy film directed by Charles Crichton. It stars Robert Beatty as Gulliver Shields, an Irish customs official who dreams of living on a South Sea island; particularly Rarotonga. It is based on the book by Kenneth Reddin, an Irish judge.

Plot

The opening credits initially say "a comedy" but this is changed to "a tragedy". The orchestra plays Molly Malone as credits roll on a background of shamrocks telling the viewer that the setting is Ireland,
Gulliver leaves a building in Dublin and walks through the Fusiliers' Arch into St Stephen's Green to sit on a park bench. THere he daydreams of beaches. A refined gent sits next to him for some minutes before going to a bar. Gulliver goes to a different bar. A very quiet one. He reads a newspaper article about a car crash on Grafton Street. He then goes to the street and waits for the next accident, but when two women crash he declines to be a witness. He waits a week on the courtroom steps.. the woman eventually sees him.. they had met before on a beach. He goes to meet her later in a bar with her friends.
He resumes his stance on the steps of the bank on Grafton Street but his harassed due to his continual presence. Acquiring a small dog partly resolves this. He is happy when the next accidentb happebs: an old lady is hit by a car while crossing. He helps her hoping for a reward but is only given a luncheon voucher.
The girl Jennifer passes somewhat tipsy and asks him to call a taxi. He joins her and they go to her palatial home. Over dinner he at last explains his plan. In his mind, he will rescue and they will reward him with an amount of money to get him to the South Seas. She clearly likes him but he runs off.
He returns to his position on Grafton Street. The next accident is a Rolls Royce hitting a boy on a bicycle. The man (the same man who earlier sat by him in the park in the car claims the greater injury. They go to a bar together. They appear to have parallel dreams except Gulliver seeks Rarotonga and the man wishes Tahiti. They meet a third time in a lawyers office when the man goes to bewail the loss of his wife: running away with his chauffeur. A plan to go together to the South Seas is formulated to the dismay of Jennifer.
On the way to the boat their car crashes on Grafton Street. Gulliver breaks his arm. Jennifer arrives and her friend Yellow takes Gulliver's place on the trip. Gulliver stays with Jennifer.

Main cast

Another Shore was filmed on location in Dublin in Ireland.