Sinners in Paradise

Sinners in Paradise was next up in my DVD set.Featuring an intriguing cast and the inimitable James Whale as director, I thought it might be worth a good look.

But no. This Adventure/Morality Play gets off to a good start,but quickly bogs down into a clichéd potboiler which is neither compelling or suspenseful. The Disparate-Characters-Stranded-on-a-Desert-Island fizzles out almost as soon as they hit the island. Comic relief is forced and unfunny and all characters are painted in extremely broad strokes.

The best part of the film is the interesting cast which is comprised of B and lesser A actors. Madge Evans is lovely and John Boles is dashing and manly. Gene Lockhart and Bruce Cabot might have deleted this one from their film credits, as it does them no credit.

I guess it fills out the boxed set but it wasn't worth the trouble.

I don't know what director Whale told actor Lockhart, but the actor's buffoonery just about kills the movie. After a plane crashes in the Pacific, the survivors manage (we're never shown how) to get to an island where a mysterious man (Boles) lives with his Chinese servant. It's a motley crew of survivors, including a rich woman, a gangster, a state senator, two fast-talking operators, a floozie, and several others. Meanwhile, forming new relationships and making needed adjustments carry the narrative.

Perhaps the biggest influence on the film is leftist screenwriter Lester Cole, later one of the blacklisted Hollywood Ten. The movie's subtext shows how social distinctions lose their meaning on the island. Even money. At the same time, the working people's skills take on vital value in new surroundings, while the privileged can contribute little. Then too, I expect Lockhart's generally useless character amounts to Cole's shot at politicians of the time. Good lessons here, and ones not restricted to that Depression era.

Anyway, helping the film are good special effects, especially the frenzied plane crash. Even the studio blended beach shots are well done, a surprise for cheapjack Universal studios. Too bad the acting's uneven, but then the hour-long format doesn't provide for much character development among the large cast. Perhaps the biggest surprise for me was Ping (Fung), the manservant. I expected he would be nothing more than the usual foolish stereotype. But, not so.

Anyway, there's a good movie stymied somewhere inside the brief runtime and Lockhart's over-acting. Check out the thematically similar Five Came Back (1939) to see a much better version.

An airplane sets out for China but doesn't make it: struck down in a storm, it crashes at sea and the passengers wash ashore on an apparently uninhabited island, where they are seemingly without hope of rescue or escape…until they discover John Boles, a mysterious American living on the island in relative luxury. He has a boat—but for reasons of his own, refuses to let the castaways use it to escape.

Boles is solid as the island's primary inhabitant; he has run away from a murder charge, accompanied by a servant (Willie Fung) whose loyalty is complete. His uninvited visitors are a diverse group of characters on this journey for a variety of reasons—some pursuing shady business deals, others running away from personal issues. On the island, events develop and allegiances form; we learn, in bits and pieces, the stories behind some of the main characters.

Boles strikes up a relationship with Madge Evans, an unhappy wife heading to China to escape via a nursing career. Gene Lockhart is a blustery senator and Charlotte Wynters is an heiress—these two stuck up characters are quickly elected by the others to perform the most menial chores.

Marion Martin gives the best performance as a tough young woman on the run from life. "This is pretty funny," she comments on reaching shore and looking around, "I was trying to run away from a nervous breakdown." She pairs up with Bruce Cabot, who has a stack of stolen money (useless on an island) and a pistol (that may come in handy).

The plane crash scene that opens the action is very well done—a great example of a director creating chaos and excitement despite obviously limited resources. Otherwise, the production is solid but nothing out of the ordinary...if there is such a thing as a run of the mill tropical island, this would be it.

Overall, it's entertaining if not great. The characters are interesting but never develop much; the performances are solid; the plot moves fast but rarely surprises.

While there are a few amusing moments in this film, the odd mixture of characters who find themselves awash on an Island in the Pacific really don't have much chemistry. They are mostly wrapped up in their own egos and forced to do some work or they will never see home again. There is a strange Chinese man, loyal to his master, who is incredibly confusing. He has this goofy laugh that comes at odd times. It grates on the brain. There are bad guys and windbags and loose women and a nice woman. There is an islander who can't go to China because he is wanted for a murder there. He has the only boat and navigation skills to get the people off the island. Everyone stays true to their colors and it rolls toward a predictable conclusion. I found Gene Lockart's politician to be utterly insufferable. They should have drowned him right away.

Sinners in Paradise (1938)

*** (out of 4)

Universal drama directed by James Whale about a plane load of people who crash on an island ran by a loner (John Boles). This one here doesn't have a very good reputation but I found it to be highly entertaining until the last fifteen minutes when things started to drag a bit. Whale's direction is right on the mark mixing some nice drama with some comedy and using the oddball characters to full effect. Boles, from Whale's Frankenstein is very good in the lead and the supporting players are good as well. The plane crash is handled with a master's touch. Madge Evans and Bruce Cabot co-star.