Aasgeier

Manfish is based on two entwined Edgar Allan Poe stories: 'The Gold Bug' and 'The Tell-Tale Heart'. It's an eerie seaworthy treasure seeking adventure film with a quite a few thrills that kept me glued to the screen.

Captain Brannigan (John Bromfield) of the ship named Manfish - is a man who becomes obsessed with finding treasures of gold. While Swede (Lon Chaney Jr.) is a man with a heart-of-gold and loves his only home "The Manfish". The two sets sail on an adventure that leads them into a world of treachery, murder and gold - lots of gold.

The movie is not actually classified as a horror film but it is a film that some of the fans of horror might enjoy - especially if they like Lon Chaney, Jr.

8/10

Supposedly based on two of Edgar Allan Poe's stories ("The Gold Bug" and "The Tell-Tale Heart") this is not a horror movie but a seldom-seen adventure film of particular interest to movie buffs largely because of Lon Chaney, Jr.'s presence as yet another dimwitted "Lenny-esque" character. He plays a lumbering and gullible first mate nicknamed "Swede" to the mean and unlikeable Captain Brannigan (John Bromfield). Taking place in exotic Jamaican locations, these two sailors board their ship, christened the Manfish, and search the waters of the Caribbean for a buried treasure. They gain an unwelcome partner when they cross paths with a cunning professor (Victor Jory, who tends to go off the deep end now and then) who happens to hold part of the key to their fortune.

At first it's evident that MANFISH is not only rather cheap, but also not all that well directed, but much to its credit things gradually escalate to a satisfying and intense last act as murder and foul play kick into gear. If not for the fact that two of its main characters are so despicable (the captain and the professor) this could have been more potent. As it stands, Lon Chaney is the only likable member of the cast and while his old Lenny routine may be very familiar, at least it adds something light to an otherwise loathsome crew. This is definitely worth watching, though it may be hard to come by. Retromedia DVD has helped make it easier with their 16mm print featured on their own LON CHANEY COLLECTION disc. Curiously, the copy I screened was in black and white although the end credits clearly proclaim, "Color by DeLuxe". ** out of ****

"A trio of treasure hunters is searching the West Indies for a hidden fortune. The lure of gold makes for a rise in tension as the men come closer to the treasure's location. The deep-sea divers hope to track down the gold, but find that greed and hatred leads to murder," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis. "Manfish" is the name of their boat, not a monster. The skeleton who gives muscular Captain John Bromfield (as Brannigan) his half of the treasure map is very good. Old salt Victor Jory (as Professor) provides the other half of the map. First mate Lon Chaney Jr. (as Swede) plays dumb, and sexy Tessa Prendergast (as Alita) guards the rum (not very well, obviously). Serious editing and continuity problems mar the picture, which otherwise might have amounted to something.

*** Manfish (2/56) W. Lee Wilder ~ John Bromfield, Victor Jory, Lon Chaney Jr.

1955's "Manfish" is sometimes thought of as a horror film due to its title, the presence of second billed Lon Chaney, and the fact that not one but two Edgar Allan Poe stories were combined for the script, "The Gold Bug" and "The Tell-Tale Heart." As things go, it's one of the few decent efforts by the resolutely dull director W. Lee Wilder (Billy's elder brother), and his 4th of seven films written by his son Myles Wilder (the shooting title was "The Menfish"). 'Manfish' is actually the name of the Jamaican boat captained by John Bromfield's Brannigan, Chaney his first mate 'Swede,' in danger of losing their beloved vessel due to outstanding debts brought on by Brannigan's gambling. The pair earn their keep diving for sea turtles, one day discovering a skeleton on the bottom of the sea bed, still holding a map contained inside a bottle, revealing the hidden location of a French pirate's treasure chest. This brings them into contact with another greedy soul, Victor Jory's 'Professor,' forcing Brannigan's hand by memorizing the map's contents before burning it. They find the trinkets soon enough, heading back to port to finalize payment on their boat, but a second treasure map spells doom for those most desirous of instant wealth. In the end, the lone survivor is the one whose love for the sea proves to be his salvation. Nearly an hour goes by before the treasure is found, then "The Gold Bug" finally gives way to "The Tell-Tale Heart" in its depiction of a crazed killer desperately trying to cover up his crime by hiding the corpse in the drink, tied down by an oxygen tank that continuously gives way to bubbles that make it look like the dead is still struggling for air. Lon Chaney had worked on a previous Wilder title (1950's "Once a Thief..."), and continues to excel in sympathetic mode despite often being cast as wicked henchmen; it's another simple minded character like Lennie in "Of Mice and Men," but a sailor who genuinely cares about his vessel and the divers he employs (he had just finished Jack Palance's "I Died a Thousand Times," moving on to Kirk Douglas' "The Indian Fighter").

The reason the DVD releases of this film are in black and white is because nobody can get their hands on a color print of this public domain film, a modest sea story at best.

Distributed for television thru Allied Artists, DVD's (or VHS) on the market at this time for this title are all coming from the same 16MM television print. Films distributed for television prior to 1963 were often distributed in b/w prints, because the bulk of viewers did not have color sets anyway. Striking b/w prints for television was also cheaper, as it often involved quite a few prints to cover all stations running a film on a syndicated basis.