Thank you the replies. The part in the movie about the locked up stresses making sounds you could hear did not seem like the kind of thing that was made up, though Hollywood makes up all kinds of stuff.

Love to spend a week around a ship-yard trying to pick up on the art of large ship building.

I saw a movie for free on YouTube, "Away All Boats", https://youtu.be/y5Z7vIPD3to At minute 4:44 an old timer puts his ear to the hull of a recently built welded steel ship (1943 or 1944) and listens to "her" talking. An ex ship captain explains to the old timer that the sound he...