In the Radio Times, David Parkinson wrote, "It's a pity there's not much entertainment value to be had from this wonderful curio about a twice-shipwrecked castaway saved by a sea captain whose daughter he then falls in love with, much to the old tar's displeasure. What is fascinating about Roy Kellino's adventure is that it was edited, with greater tautness than it deserves, by director-in-waiting David Lean. The casting is also noteworthy, with future Carry On star Esma Cannon in a rare glamour role, and Ballard Berkeley (who would later achieve fame as the Major in Fawlty Towers) playing the heroic lead."[2]