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Cabin Boy (1994)

Starring Chris Elliott, Ritch Brinkley, Melora Walters, and David Letterman.  Cinematography by Steve Yaconelli. Edited by Jon Poll.  Produced by Tim Burton and Denise Di Novi. Written by Chris Elliott and Adam Resnick.  Directed by Adam Resnick.

Nathanial Mayweather (played by Chris Elliott) is a spoiled and obnoxious “fancy lad” on his way home from finishing school. His father has bought him a hotel to run in Hawaii, and all he needs to do is get there.  A skirmish on the docks mistakenly leads him onto “The Dirty Whore”, a pungent and swarthy fishing vessel heading out of port.  Chaos ensues as the four filthy fishermen and the rich brat sort themselves out on the high seas.

The film is laced with references to old swashbuckling films like Captains Courageous, Jason and the Argonauts, or anything from the old Sinbad series. Nearly the entire movie was filmed on a soundstage, and it was shot in high energy Technicolor; both techniques an homage of sorts to the look and feel of Hollywood’s studio pictures from the forties and fifties.

Adam Resnick's, a former “Late Night with David Letterman” writer, makes his directorial debut with this film.  He has gone on to write such black comedies as Death to Smoochy and Lucky Numbers.  His buddy, co-screenwriter, and star of the project, Chris Elliott, might be better known for his variety of odd characters he played on Letterman’s show. 

Tim Burton acts as producer for this film. The extent of Burton’s involvement in the film is difficult to determine, but it features a lot of the quirky eccentricities and visual treats that we are used to from his projects.

The film is certainly not for everyone.  The comedy is almost an acquired taste. One might even deduce that there were some nervous producers in that Touchstone never even screened the film for critics.  But if you’ve been a fan of Elliott’s work in the past or present, you may want to give this one a rental sometime.

Budget: $???

Total US Gross: $3,662,459

Genre: Comedy

Runtime: 80 Minutes

US Release Date: 1/7/94

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Awards: none

Tagline: He's Sailing High On The High Seas, Without A Rudder, A Compass, Or A Clue.

Quote: “You're like the drunken abusive grandfather I never had.”