BOUNTY INTO THE HURRICANE1x50 min - Filmed in HD - A Tell Tale Productions Inc ProductionThis film reveals the colourful history and tragic fate of the tall ship ‘Bounty’, built by MGM studios in 1962 and used in the legendary film starring Marlon Brando. Why did the present day captain sail into the biggest hurricane in US history, resulting in the loss of the ship and 2 crew members?

On the night of October 28th 2012, the phone rang in the US Coast Guard’s North Carolina field office. A distress email had been received from the HMS Bounty Organisation, based on Long Island NY. The HMS Bounty – a replica of the famous 18th-century vessel, built in Lunenburg Nova Scotia fifty-two years ago - had lost power and was taking on water. The three-masted tall ship, with 16 people on board, appeared to be sinking, pounded by howling winds and mountainous seas.

To the amazement of the Coast Guard, it transpired that Captain Robin Walbridge had ordered the Bounty to set sail into the path one of the largest and most destructive hurricanes in U.S. history - Hurricane Sandy. It was one man’s decision, a reckless choice that cost two people their lives and left many others reeling in its wake. Four days later, the battered ship, Walbridge himself, and one of the crew were lost forever to the Atlantic Ocean. But what compelled Walbridge, an experienced captain, to take such a risky decision in spite of severe weather warnings and why did the crew not oppose him?

‘Bounty: Into the Hurricane’ is a one hour documentary that uses first-hand accounts from survivors and rescuers to piece together this tragic story. We'll hear about the steely heroism on the part of the US Coast Guard who battled the ‘storm of the century’ and risked their own lives to rescue the stranded crew. Testimony from the surviving crew members bear witness to the savagery of the storm and their extraordinary luck in coming out of the ordeal alive. The film also reveals little known details about the Bounty's legendary past. We’ll trace the colourful history of the iconic ship from the original HMS Bounty mutiny in 1787 which inspired numerous books and Hollywood movies. We'll show rare footage from the CBC archives of the Bounty being built in Lunenburg for MGM studios in 1962 and subsequently used in the film ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’ starring Marlon Brando. In a rare interview, Brando himself reveals how he pleaded with the studio that ship shouldn’t be burned at the end of the film as was originally planned. The ship was subsequently used as a tourist attraction, touring around the coast of the USA. While its sad demise had all the ingredients of a Hollywood disaster movie, the loss of life was an avoidable tragedy and the terror of confronting Hurricane Sandy will live with the survivors forever.

© A Tell Tale Productions Inc Production

1x50’Distributed by Earth Touch

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