#NewYork #SSFrance #OceanLiner #AlPacino #Serpico #MerchantNavy

SS France departs New York in August 1973 and Serpico being filmed.

This film was originally shot on 9 August 1973 using Standard 8mm cine film. It was digitally converted using a Winait Film Scanner & edited using Film9 & Adobe Premiere Pro software. Sound effects were also added.

During the making of the Cine Film, the movie "Serpico" was also being shot. At the conclusion of the 1973 film, the title character (Al Pacino) was sat on the dock with the vessel behind him, as he prepares to sail on her into exile after testifying against the New York Police Department.

Al Pacino does make an appearance in this video but can anyone spot it? And how about any of the crew or anyone connected with filming Serpico in my video? Arthur J. Ornitz is the cameraman and was an American cinematographer (1916 - 1985)

Details about SS France

General characteristics

Tonnage - 66,343grt (1961) - 70,202grt (1984) - 76,049grt (1990)
Displacement - 56,646t
Length - 315.66m
Beam - 33.7m (1961) - 33.81m (1990)
Height - 67.66m
Draft - 10.49m
Depth - 28.10m
Decks - 12 (1961) - 13 (1980) - 15 (1990)
Speed - 30 kts
Capacity - 1961-1974
First Class - 407-617; Tourist Class - 1,271-1,637
1980 -1990 - 1,944 passengers
1994 - 2003 - 2,565 passengers
Crew -
1961 - 1974: 1,104 - 1,253
1980 - 1990: 875
1994 - 2003: 875
Cost - $80million approx.

SS France was a Compagnie Générale Transatlantique ocean liner, constructed by the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard at Saint-Nazaire, France, and put into service in February 1962. At the time of her construction in 1960, the 316 m vessel was the longest passenger ship ever built, a record that remained unchallenged until the construction of the 345 m RMS Queen Mary 2 in 2004.

France was later purchased by Norwegian Cruise Line in 1979, renamed SS Norway and underwent significant modifications to refit her for cruising duties. She was renamed SS Blue Lady and sold to be scrapped in 2005, and scrapping was completed in late 2008.

Media appearances
The Ric Hochet comic album Rapt sur le France published in 1968, the story takes place on France. The front of the comic shows a ship named France, with the distinctive funnels visible.

France, as one of the last transatlantic ocean liners before the jet age, was also treated as the connection between, for example, New York & France. This was shown well in Le Gendarme à New York where the main characters sail on France. The film also shows some of the 60s' interior of the ship. At the conclusion of the 1973 film Serpico, the title character can be seen sitting on the dock with the vessel behind him, as he prepares to sail on her into exile after testifying against the New York Police Department. During the opening of Dog Day Afternoon, also directed by Sidney Lumet, there is a shot of France docked in New York during the opening montage.

France was the ship that Elton John crossed the Atlantic Ocean in September 1974, & wrote the music to Bernie Taupin's lyrics for the Captain Fantastic And the Brown Dirt Cowboy album, on the ships piano.

France appears in the Kolchak: The Night Stalker episode "The Werewolf" as the cruise ship (on which the story takes place) at sea.

In 1986, French singer Michel Sardou released a single "Le France" about the end of the ship that was a huge hit in France & French-speaking countries.

In 1986, the American TV show, Today spent a week-long cruise aboard Norway.

Norway appears in the 1989 María Sorté/Enrique Novi Mexican telenovela Mi Segunda Madre from episode 18 as the cruise ship (on which the romantic story takes place) at PortMiami & at sea.

Norway appears during the closing credits of the 1994 Sylvester Stallone/Sharon Stone feature The Specialist in a flyover of the Port of Miami.

In 1994, the ship as then-owned by NCL as the Norway, was featured in the children's show Real Wheels in the episode There Goes A Boat.

On 30 July 1998, at the request of a passenger, the pilots of Proteus Airlines Flight 706 made a slight detour from their intended route from Lyon to Lorient in Brittany, to see Norway that was anchored in nearby Quiberon Bay. While circling the ship at a low altitude to give passengers a birds-eye view of the iconic former French vessel, the twin-engined Beechcraft 1900D was hit by a Cessna 177, causing both to crash into the bay & killing all 15 people aboard both aircraft. The event was chronicled in the Canadian TV series, Mayday season 16, episode 5: "Deadly Detour".

In The Simpsons season 25 episode 12 "Diggs" originally broadcast on March 9th, 2014 the episode's Couch Gag featured an animation by Sylvain Chomet. A picture of France replaced the picture of the boat.

France was also seen in the 2015 animated feature Minions. As the Minions leave the water in New York City in 1968, the France is seen in the background.