The Beachcomber is a 1954 British comedy drama film directed by Muriel Box starring Donald Sinden, Glynis Johns, Robert Newton, Paul Rogers, Donald Pleasence and Michael Hordern. The film is based on the 1931 short story "The Vessel of Wrath" by W. Somerset Maugham and was adapted by Sydney Box. It was the second screen adaptation of the book following the 1938 film Vessel of Wrath. The film was shot at Pinewood Studios and on location in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). The film's sets were designed by the art director George Provis.
Plot
The new British Resident of the Welcome Islands, Ewart Gray (Donald Sinden), arrives in full uniform by ship, anticipating the excitement of a posting in the tropical Indian Ocean. [This location is fictitious, the real Welcome Islands being in the South Atlantic at the latitude of Tierra del Fuego, and being very far from a tropical paradise: the original story is set in an island in the Alas group off Dutch New Guinea, as it then was.] He is informed that the last Governor had shot himself from "loneliness", which dampens his spirits a little. On landing, he finds his quarters are not ready for him, and he is invited to stay by the local missionary Owen Jones (Paul Rogers) and his sister Martha (Glynis Johns). He soon finds their company, while friendly, a little overbearing, and returns to stay at his own residence despite it not being finished. That evening, he is visited by the only other European resident of the island, Edward Wilson (Robert Newton), known as the "Honourable Ted", who introduces himself and drinks a large amount of Gray's whisky. Despite having been warned that Ted was a scoundrel, Gray soon warms to him, finding him well-spoken and obviously educated.
A year after arriving on the island Gray is disappointed to see Ted arrested and brought up before him in court for encouraging a girl at the mission to steal some money which he then spent on drink before becoming involved in a drunken brawl. Gray breaks with precedent and sentences Ted to three months' hard labour on a neighbouring island. While there, the local headman (Michael Hordern) suffers from appendicitis. Because her brother, who functions as a local doctor as well as running the mission, is unwell, Martha travels out and successfully performs the operation. She nurses the headman back to health, while also tending to a local elephant that had injured its trunk after being attacked by a crocodile. On the way back she travels in a boat with Ted, who has now finished his sentence. She strongly disapproves of Ted, and the fact that he and the crew are drunk on arrack. She is horrified when the propeller fails and they are forced to spend the night on a small desert island. She is convinced that Ted will try and molest her, but to her surprise he leaves her alone all night—except to put some blankets on her to stop her becoming cold.
When they return to the capital she is now slightly infatuated with Ted, in whom she can see signs of goodness. He remains repulsed by her, and ignores her gentle attempts to get to know him better. His drunken behaviour on the island carries on as before, and he is involved in another brawl. This time Gray is forced to sentence him to deportation to Australia. His departure is delayed by a sudden outbreak of cholera which sweeps the islands. With all available hands needed in the capital, only Martha can be spared to go to the northern islands to treat the outbreak there. Because the governor and her brother are worried that the spread of disease might encourage a native rebellion they are hesitant to let her go. Ultimately they agree, provided she takes Ted with her. At first he refuses to help her when he is approached, but later guiltily agrees to join her.
Once they reach the northern islands they discover the inhabitants have become hostile to them, blaming the spread of the disease on the Europeans. However, Martha persuades them to let her help, reminding them of how she saved the life of the headman months before. They assent to her presence, and she and Ted throw themselves into the task of fighting the disease. Slowly they grow extremely fond of each other, and finally embrace. Each has made an emotional journey, Martha from a repressed state to being a more sensually aware woman while Ted has changed from a morally dubious character to being a more upstanding person.