Tropic Zone

Rhonda Fleming's banana farm is going broke slowly until expert Ronald Reagan arrives, fleeing from another Mesoamerican country where he backed the wrong government. He starts fixing all the things wrong on the plantation, but local banana factor John Wengraf wants to drive her bankrupt, and all the other farmers. Meanwhile, local entertainer Estelita, who mostly dresses in costumes that wouldn't be out of place at the Copacabana night club, were they a. Little less risque, wants Reagan for non-banana purposes, which has pal Noah Beery Jr. Very sad.

It's the third pairing of Reagan and Miss Fleming, and it's in a production of the Dollar Bills, Pine and Thomas. But this is no B production, it's very expensive-looking, with bright Technicolor spread out over four Paramount stages. Lewis Foster wrote the script from a novel by Tom Gill, and directed.

In so many ways, "Tropic Zone" is like a B-western...but set on a tropical island instead of the American west. Think about it...the plot involves a powerful guy trying to force a woman off her banana plantation. Substitute 'banana plantation' for 'ranch' and you've got a western!

Flanders (Rhonda Fleming) inherited a banana plantation from her father. But she's having a hard time making a go of it...and much is because her foreman is actually actively trying to make the place lose money. Why? Because a rich jerk wants her land and he's paying the foreman to be an obstructionist. When she meets Dan (Ronald Reagan), she is taken with him and his knowledge of bananas...so she hires him to run her outfit. Soon after this, the same rich jerk who was paying the foreman now comes to Dan with a proposition....to also hinder her banana production or else the guy will turn Dan into the law. Apparently, in some nearby country, Dan got on the wrong side of the recent junta...and they have put up a reward for him. But Dan is an honorable guy. While he tells the jerk he'll sabotage the operation, he actually works hard to make a go of it.

Another reason the film reminds me of a western is that Estelita Rodriquez is in the film. She made a career out of appearing in Roy Rogers films...and effectively ruining them because of her horrible acting. Fortunately, she's not as noticeable in this one. I think this change might be because unlike the Rogers films, which were made by Republic Studios, this one is made by Pine-Thomas...and Herbert Yates (the president of Republic) was rumored to have taken a special interest in Estelita. I have no idea if it's true, but it would explain why such a godawful actress would appear in so many films by Republic. But again...here she's not good...but she's also not annoying is easy to hate like she is in the Rogers films.

So is the film any good? Well, it's okay. The plot is VERY familiar despite the change of locales and the story is also very easy to predict. Fleming and Reagan give it their best, but with such a script mediocrity is the best they could hope to achieve.

This is the umpteenth version of the gorgeous damsel in distress(Fleming) whose valuable banana plantation is coveted by a villain .But fortunately a raider (Reagan)comes to her rescue. This is conventional to a fault,a weak adventure story padded out with a lot of exotic dances ,all performed by a brunette who's "crazy about" the hero and thus is jealous of Fleming.

You can't.

Rhonda Fleming (who looks spectacular, as always) plays the owner of a banana plantation in the Caribbean which is on the verge of going belly up. Enter Ronald Reagan, who saves the day.

Seems Reagan is a political escapee from somewhere (probably where the Democrats are still in control), so he is in this country illegally. Nasty John Wengraf, who wants to buy out Fleming, blackmails Reagan into helping him wreck the plantation. Reagan pretends to go along, but you know at some point he is going to kick somebody's butt.

The highlight of the film occurs about halfway through, with a pretty good six minute brawl. Reagan cleans house, and Fleming gets the top of her dress torn off. The rest of the film is slow going. Estelita Rodriguez sings a few songs, and Noah Beery Jr. Takes a nice part as Reagan's buddy. Grant Withers plays Fleming's drunken and former foreman.

The climax features Reagan, Fleming, et al trying to transport 8000 banana stems to a dock so that the Tropic Fruit Company will give Fleming a contract. This may have expired the Exodus sequence from "The Ten Commandments."

However mediocre the film is ( and this is truly mediocre ) Rhonda Fleming shines. Her voice is good, and her eyes are always paying attention to the actors around her. We would not have agreed on many issues, but somehow I sensed generosity would not have spoiled a genuine openness of opinion. Now for the film. The technicolour is excellent, but sadly the Caribbean setting is all studio, and at the end of certain scenes I am convinced I saw them leave to an adjacent set. In one delirious scene Fleming walks out of the sea bone dry with a backdrop of waves behind her. There is in my opinion no chemistry between her with Ronald Reagan, a political escapee who helps her out with her banana plantation problems. Estelita Rodriguez adds zest to the film, and the song numbers are bearable. But if you like Fleming as an actor the film is good while she is on screen. As for the plot it is boring, predictable, and has a certain amount of male fighting to stop the audience getting restless.