El puerto del odio

Conspiracy is one of those murky mysteries where the protagonist isn't quit sure who to trust until the end. Allan Lane who later concentrated on westerns plays a freighter radio operator who catches Henry Brandon sending an illegal wireless message to shore. The port authorities board the ship and both men swim for shore.

J. Farrell MacDonald's ship is carrying the chemical fixings for poison gas. An item of concern to the world who witnessed it being used by Mussolini in Ethiopia. Gave the film a dimension of immediacy not appreciated by an audience of today.

Anyway Lne runs into Linda ayes anda couple of expatriate Americans Charlie Foy and Robert Barrat and all their roles are murky.

Mediocre programmer from RKO.

American radio operator Steve Kendall (Allan Lane) and his freighter The Falcon arrive in a foreign port. He fails to stop seaman Carlson from sending an unauthorized message. Carlson is killed by port police while trying to escape. Steve is falsely accused and manages to swim ashore. He encounters Nedra Carlson (Linda Hayes) who is the dead seaman's sister and a part of a conspiracy to stop Falcon from unloading its deadly cargo.

A lot of this does not make sense. Right from the start, Carlson should not be killed. The authorities would want to interrogate him. He's not getting away like that. Yet Kendall escapes exactly like that. I have issues with both parts. The questionable actions keep piling up. The movie tries to say something against Germany without actually naming the country. After all, the poison gas is targeted against London. Then there is Allan Lane trying to be funny. This is a light-weight espionage thriller trying to do some heavy-lifting and faltering.

Caught in a seafaring gunfight, handsome American radio broadcaster Allan Lane (as Steve Kendall) discovers he's on a ship smuggling illegal cargo. Secret agents decide to eliminate Mr. Lane, but he jumps ship and swims to safety. Luckily, Lane meets beautiful nightclub singer Linda Hayes (as Nedra Carlson) as soon as he hits shore. Shot trying to get away, Ms. Hayes' brother was on the same ship as Lane. Small world. Hayes decides to let Lane stay, as government revolutionaries close in on him. There are times when director Lew Landers, photographer Frank Redman and the RKO crew strike a nice visual tone with "Conspiracy". However, most of the time it looks thoughtless and hasty. Lane and Hayes are a very attractive couple; but they are unable to show much desire, either for each other or the roles. Worst of all, the story isn't just mysterious; it's muddled.

**** Conspiracy (1939-08-01) Lew Landers ~ Allan Lane, Linda Hayes, Robert Barrat, Charley Foy

This 1930s matinee style movie is a fun watch!

It begins with the unexpected and then takes us on a journey that has just enough adventure to make it a good time filler.

Allan Lane Is the accidental hero and for once isn't riding the range as he navigates a treacherous journey doing his best to avoid the secret police. Linda Hayes as Nedra pulls us in and leaves viewers wanting to know more about the multitalented character.

The obviously low budgeted film still offers a few scenes that can keep you on edge while also having some silly realism in the midst.

Cowboy Star Allan "Rocky" Lane seems Uncomfortable Without a Horse and is at the Receiving End of One of the Stiffest Screen Kisses You're likely to see. Every so Often He Flashes an "Aw-Shucks" Smile and then the Movie returns to Dead Serious.

It's a Lively Pre-War Caution about a Merchant Ship Sailing into the Water of a Fictional Country (that is never named), a Hybrid of Italy-Spain-Germany.

"You call that concentration camp over there a Country?", the Captain Asks. Rocky States..."This isn't a Country it's a prison.", to Linda Hays, the Pretty Songbird/Rebel that is Helping Him out.

This is an Interesting Movie in Hindsight. It Moves quickly and there is a lot of Action and Interaction, Gunplay, Fisticuffs, Chases, and Intrigue throughout its narely One Hour Running Time. It has a "Casablanca" Ending.

Overall, an Above Average, totally Forgotten B-Movie but RKO manages some Good Photography, Blistering Pacing, and a Suspenseful Story. One does Notice, however, this is a Good Example why Allan "Rocky" Lane Rarely Got Off His Horse and/or Rode Into another Genre.