Port of Hell

This movie is my favorite bad movie. It is based on the premise that Russia would select the port of San Pedro California as a key target to attack with an Atomic bomb hidden aboard a tanker. The captain, a spy, uses a pay phone within hearing distance of the port warden who over hears the plan to leave a falsely quarantined freighter in the harbor with an Atom bomb timed to explode. The port warden has to find a tug to pull the tanker out to sea. Evidently he doesn't have access to one only being the port warden. The only one he can think of belongs to a rival, the brother of his girl friend. He takes a taxi (they show this) to her home where where walks up to the house, confronts her brother, they brawl, but he obtains access to the tug. Then to man the helm he needs someone. He selects the office manager who is crippled and in a wheel chair. He has to be helped aboard the tug. Predictably, the they pull the tanker out to sea, the bomb does explode, and it's labeled a mystery in the newspaper. This terrible flick doesn't seem to appear on TV any more. It's a shame since it is so bad it is great to watch!

I remember Port of Hell well for the same reasons the previous reviewer cited. The premise that the port of San Pedro California would be a key target to cripple the United States starts it off. It is so ridiculous that it's fun to watch since there are so many nonsensical scenes that are actually shown such as taking a taxi for help versus using the phone and walking not even running up to the house. And when his girl friend opens the door he blurts out totally out of context, 'I love you'. Then for some reason I forget he battles a tug owner who evidently has the only tug available to the port warden for the use of his tug. This is all when an atomic bomb is going to explode in the harbor any minute. The topper was having to get a handicapped person to man the helm. It's very hard to make such bad movie that's so enjoyable like Port of Hell (even named poorly) as San Pedro has a fine port and ship yard),

This little-known movie is good enough that it deserves to be better known. While no world-beater, it's certainly a lot better than other comments here suggest. It's well-acted, the story has an interesting premise, and it does build (albeit slowly) a good head of suspense by the end. Part of this is by the use of an odd whine or wail on the soundtrack during the scenes following the revelation that there is a bomb aboard the ship in question.

It's also helped by extensive location shooting in the San Pedro area; in fact, it appears that every frame of the film was shot on location.

Wayne Morris, who's often somewhat lacking, is very good here as a tough but intelligent tug boat captain.

I used to watch this movie in the early sixties in LA when I was a little boy. The above reviews are on point with the comments about it being a bad movie. However I always watched it because of the love story. Dane Clark and Carole Mathews always portrayed real tough customers in their own movies . So to see them interact in this one was a real treat. The old saying about the consequences of a meeting between an irresistible force and a immovable object is played out in human terms with both actor and actress. Of course with all of the clashing and arguing sparks are bound to fly. If I remember they never kiss but she does slap him and I know that he wants to slug her. It was just nice to see adults behaving like school kids when trying to express love for each other. This pattern of hate - love has been a part of my ,modus vivendi, way of living and love for a long time. That probably explains why I like and miss such a terribly bad movie I used to visit San Pedro when I was growing up and I agree that most of the scenes are on the harbor.