A ship has caught fire and only one lifeboat remains. Now, its captain, Michael Taylor must decide who will live and who will surely die. The story begins at Taylor's trial where he is charged for the murders of the ship's passengers who perished. But what his prosecutors don't know is that he was actually on board under British secret orders. Unexpectedly, he is awarded a new trial after a representative of the Queen of England steps forward with a detailed account of the tragedy. Next, the real story unfolds, via brilliantly photographed flashbacks, revealing Taylor and his partner's heroic mission to abolish the inhumane business of slave trading. But will the truth be enough to spare Taylor from a life behind bars?

Directed by the prolific and too often neglected Henry Hathaway (Niagara, Prince Valiant, The Sons of Katie Elder, True Grit) and starring Gary Cooper and George Raft, the 1937 action adventure Souls at Sea is one of those films that's acclaimed by those who've seen it, but so few appear to have done so. Variety had this to say on the matter:

"Henry Hathaway's direction is bold, brave and sweeping. He paints the yarn [by Ted Lesser] with an indelible brush, particularly in the sequences on the seas leading up to and following the conflagration of the SS William Brown. Skillful film editing permits little that's extraneous. Human touch when little Virginia Weidler capsizes the kerosene lamp which fires the packet from Liverpool to Philadelphia is vividly translated to the audience.

"Cooper and Raft are outstanding - the former up to his usual standard; Raft a bit of a surprise as a sympathetic player who meets his dramatic opportunities more than half way."

Sounds good to us. If it's managed to slip under you viewing radar then you're not alone, but help is at hand in the shape of Eureka Entertainment, who are to release Souls at Sea for the first time on UK DVD on 10th November 2008 at the RRP of £15.99. As far as we know, there are no extras on board.