The 26 Apr 1922 FD announced that Elmer Clifton was directing his first film for the Whaling Films Corporation. The 17 Feb 1923 Moving Picture World reported that the project was conceived by scenarist John L. E. Pell of New Bedford, MA, the descendant of “one of New England’s foremost whaling families.” Pell composed the story with the help of veteran whalers, who provided technical advice about nineteenth-century nautical life. In late 1921, the Whaling Film Corporation was formed, financed by a group of New Bedford businesspeople. Clifton reportedly spent eighteen months on the production, which included a voyage to the Caribbean Sea on the Charles W. Morgan, a whaling ship built in 1842. On-board photography was accomplished with the help of a gyroscopic camera. Clifton, a former protégé of filmmaker D. W. Griffith, told the Jun 1923 Motion Picture that he prepared for the project by studying logbooks from whaling expeditions, listening to nautical tales from elderly New Bedford residents, and accumulating nineteenth-century artifacts to give his sets authenticity. He intended to make a twelve-reel epic, which would succeed “in a big way.” In the 24 Feb 1923 Moving Picture World, Clifton revealed that New Bedford’s Quaker community assisted in the production, providing technical advice and allowing the filming of an actual Quaker worship service. Residents also gave Clifton access to their “treasure chests,” which contained some of the antique clothes used in the film. Among them was an eighteenth-century wedding gown worn by the eighty-year-old granddaughter of its original owner. Despite Clifton’s intentions for a longer film, release prints measured either 7,100 or 8,000 feet, according to the 21 Jul 1923 and 25 Aug 1923 Moving Picture World.
       The film was initially screened during late 1922 in the Massachusetts towns of Wellfleet, Chatham, Orleans, and Martha’s Vineyard. An lucrative engagement followed in Providence, RI, from 6 – 25 Nov 1922, before the picture opened on 27 Nov 1922 at the Metropolitan Opera House in Philadelphia, PA. Weeks later, the 5 Jan 1923 FD announced W. W. Hodkinson as the film’s distributor. Hodkinson launched an aggressive publicity campaign, maintaining the title’s media presence into the following year.
       Down to the Sea in Ships opened 18 Feb 1923 at the Cameo Theatre in New York City “for an indefinite run.” Edward Kilyeni provided the musical score, which featured such America folk songs as “The Lass That Loves A Sailor,” “Home Again,” and “Midshipmate,” according to the 14 Apr 1923 Motion Picture World. The film was both a critical and a commercial success.
       On 17 Apr 1923, FD reported that attorney William Matthews filed suit against the Whaling Film Corp for $9,900 and “application for an attachment” as compensation for legal services. Matthews claimed that he convinced the New York Motion Picture Commission to reverse its decision to remove particular scenes from the film before it could be shown in the state. The article estimated the film’s budget at $200,000.
       Down to the Sea in Ships marked the first screen appearance by actress Clara Bow. The Jan 1924 Motion Picture noted that Bow, winner of the magazine’s 1921 “Fame and Fortune” contest, was initially cast in Beyond the Rainbow (1922, see entry), but her scenes were removed prior to release. In his memoir, Blondes, Brunettes and Bullets, impressario Nils T. Granlund recalled pursuading a friend on the production team to hire Bow for $50 per week. Her memorable performance earned her a contract with Preferred Pictures, as announced in the 28 Jul 1923 Moving Picture World. On 20 Oct 1923, Moving Picture World reported Elmer Clifton’s departure from the Whaling Films Corp. to become a staff director for Fox Film Corporation.
       The film was re-made in 1949 under the same title (see entry.)
       Some sources list the film's length as 9 reels, 8,900 ft.