The Captain's Table

The Captain's Table is a 1959 British comedy film directed by Jack Lee from a novel by Richard Gordon. It starred John Gregson, Donald Sinden, Peggy Cummins, Maurice Denham, Joan Sims, John Le Mesurier and June Jago. After serving all his working life with the 'South Star' line, exclusively in cargo ships, Albert Ebbs is finally given command of the SS Queen Adelaide, a cruise liner sailing from London to Sydney. An excellent seaman. he finds that he now has many social obligations that he does not have the skills to fulfill. He must preside at the Captain's Table, host cocktail parties,... judge beauty contests and dance with the lady passengers. He must also cope with amorous widows, young couples who want him to marry them and a blustering ex-major who claims to have the ear of the Chairman of the shipping line. To add to his woes, most of the officers and crew, led by the Chief Purser, are actively on the fiddle. The Captain doesn't fully realise this until the last night of the cruise, when champagne being served is revealed to be cider, with the crew pocketing the considerable profits. All comes out well - just.
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