Fair Wind to Java

During the late 1940s and into the 50s, Vera Ralston was the star of many Republic Studios films. She was from Czechoslovakia and her command of English, especially in the earlier films, wasn't great. So you might wonder WHY...why make her the studio's #1 star? Well, she was also the mistress of Herbert Yates...the man who ran the studio. As a result, she was cast in many films...many of which just didn't suit her talents. Here in "Fair Wind to Java" she plays an Indonesian lady...and it honestly is better suited to her language skills, though seeing her painted brown is a bit sad.

It is unusual to see the male star of the film, Fred MacMurray. He'd been with Paramount for years and was one of their bigger stars....and, at one point, the highest paid actor in Hollywood. So why would he essentially be slumming it in such a film for Republic? I have no idea...perhaps he somehow thought it would be a good idea. Perhaps someone at the studio blackmailed him into making it.

The story finds Fred playing Captain Boll...the skipper of an American sailing ship in the 19th century. Early in the story, some guy sells Boll a slave girl (Ralston) and it turns out she knows the secret to where some treasure is buried. So with her in tow, Boll and his men head back to sea. But soon pirates capture the boat and her crew and it looks as if everyone is screwed.

Unlike a typical Republic release, it's obvious that the studio spent a lot of money making this film. While they were mostly known for B-movies (mostly westerns), here they spent a large sum for the day...$1.25 million to make this movie...a LOT for 1953. Because of this, it's in color and part of it was actually filmed on the Big Island of Hawaii...though much was made closer to home in California.

Despite all this money and effort, however, the story is amazingly limp and also a bit dull. Not a terrible film by any standard, but also not a particularly good one either.

In glorious trucolour! Another Republic storybook masterpiece from the last 5 years of the studio, this is an Indiana Jones pirate/volcano movie before anyone thought of Indie...or Did Spielberg Lucas see this aged 8 are regurgitate it into the 80s as with Star Wars 70s epics from other Republic (serial) adventures of the 40s. Actually, don't Spielberg Lucas owe Republic Studios a lot!!.......FAIR WIND TO JAVA stayed in cinema circulation even after 1960 and was often seen in cinema screens at Kids matinees with other Republic films like TOBOR or the hopeless western botch PAWNEE. The 1969 cinerama sized KRAKATOA EAST OF JAVA (it was west, actually) might have attempted a bigger screen and scope, but this 1953 version with Fred and the pirates - and genuinely beautiful art direction and great modelwork, is a lot more fun. Even Vera the acting wife came out of this one well.

Good guys vs, pirates in a race for a fortune in diamonds. Lots of action and much violence, especially in a scene where Vera Ralston, who plays an escaped slave girl, is captured by the bad guys and whipped to make her tell where the diamonds are. She dosen't tell and pays for it, leading to the explosive ending of a great erupting volcano scene.

Out in the Dutch East Indies and Captain Boll is out looking for treasure, diamonds to be exact. But he is not alone, and not only does he have to contend with on board grumblings, he has angry tribesmen and a rumbling volcano thrown into the bargain as well.

Fair Wind To Java is a just above average adventure yarn, gleaming colour and a tidy production ensure it's a watchable piece. The standard plot formula {complete with pretty female love interest} is boosted by the film's last quarter, here the viewers patience is rewarded with fights aplenty and the presence of Krakatau volcano literally doing its stuff. In fact the last quarter is a joy for those with home cinema, rough seas and volcanic rumblings boom out of the speakers, and certainly up the ante of the viewing experience. Outside of that the film doesn't have much else to highlight, the acting in the main is fine, Fred MacMurray as Boll and Victor McLaglen as O'Brien both turn in solid professional performances, but Vera Ralston as Kim Kim is desperately poor in the main female role.

Not one to recommend to adventure fans with any great confidence, but certainly worth a look on a rainy day. 6/10

While watching this adventure film produced by Republic Pictures, I expected Edward Ludwig for directing, he who already gave us the awesome WAKE OF THE RED WITCH several years earlier, one of John Wayne's favorite, and a tremendous stuff too. Edward Ludwig was the adventure films specialist, but mostly for Paramount. So, I guess that in 1953, he was also under contract with Paramount and I presume that's the reason why Joseph Kane, the Republic prolific western maker, finally made this film. And for an excellent result. One of best Jo Kane's films. Please don't miss this one. It is really a great and underrated adventure movie providing amazing action and volcano in eruption scenes.