The Sea God

After losing his boat and girlfriend "Daisy" (Fry Wray) due to his gambling habit, a frustrated sea captain named "Phillip 'Pink' Barker" (Richard Arlen) gets a chance to start over when he rescues a frail old man at sea who tells him where to find a treasure trove of pearls. The problem is that this location is next to an island inhabited by a tribe of cannibals. Additionally, his hated rival, "Big Schultz" (Robert Glecker), has discovered the pearls and plans to secretly follow in his ship to steal them. Furthermore, the fact that Daisy has smuggled herself aboard Pink's vessel provides him with even more incentive. Now, rather than revealing any more, I will just say that, even though this film is quite dated and lacks the technological features readily available to filmmakers today, it still managed to hold my attention for the most part, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Again, it definitely shows its age here and there, but I still thought it was worth the time spent, and I have rated it accordingly.

Richard Arlen is the captain of a tramp merchant in the South Seas. Robert Glecker is his bete noir, a lesser sea man, but a lucky one. When both hear of a rich pearl bed in the Solomon Islands, it becomes a race. Between the two of them, with Fay Wray stowing away in Arlen's ship to give them something else to compete over.

It's a good although not outstanding, pulp fiction adventure yarn, with Archie Stout slipping some humorous shots into the proceedings past director George Abbott. Abbott is best remembered as a Broadway talent for many decades - he died in 1995 at the age of 107 - but he dabbled in films, most notably in the 1950s, transferring a couple of his stage hits to the screen. He was more active in the early sound era, when a lot of theatrical talent trooped to Hollywood, contributing to the screenplay of ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, and directing eight movies for Paramount.

With Eugene Palette and Willie Fung.

Early Paramount talkie set in the South Seas, about a pair of roughnecks (Richard Arlen and Robert Glecker), rivals in gambling, as well as for a woman, who both eventually get immersed in a competitive race for sunken pearls in the Solomon Islands. Glecker is the sneering boss of a collection of roughneck gofers who assist him, while Arlen's main companion is played by Eugene Pallette. Fay Wray is the girl caught between the two men.

This is a surprisingly entertaining little adventure, involving underseas diving off an island inhabited by cannibals. There must be something producers found appealing about casting Fay Wray as a lady in distress on a South Seas island. Both The Most Dangerous Game and King Kong would soon be around the film corner for her.

Glecker is not a name that many will recognize but his face will ring a bell, I'm sure, for many old film buffs. There's not too much subtlety in his villainy, while Richard Arlen is serviceable as the leading man. Fay Wray is appealing, as usual, and gets to do a little screaming. Seeing her captured by cannibals will provide an instant flash forward to when she will be in a similar situation on Skull Island. Eugene Pallette is fun as "Square Deal," Arlen's friend, who becomes indignant any time he is accused by his pal of being fat, insisting, instead, he possesses athletic muscle.

A modest little film, its island scenes have a certain primitive appeal, further benefiting from the occasional nice photographic image.

Pretty standard seafaring story that breaks no new ground and has no emotional highs or lows to hold the interest. Good guy (Cabot) loses his boat to the Bad guy (Gleckler) in a race in which Cabot stopped to rescue a shipwrecked sailor. He also loses his girlfriend (Wray) in the process. He tries to aid the sailor, who relates his tale of an island loaded with pearl-bearing oysters.

In the ensuing quest to find the island, Cabot's crew are beset by cannibals who capture Wray while Cabot is diving. Predictable events ensue before the couple are reunited and Gleckler and his crew are relegated to runner-up status. As stated, the picture is unremarkable and not noteworthy, except to fans of Fay Wray, who looks lovely. She has little to do but show fright and exasperation with Cabot. "The Sea God" lends credence to the belief that Director Abbott's best and most famous successes were on Broadway rather than Hollywood.

The Sea God is an early sound melodrama about two men vying for Fay Wray and wealth in the South Pacific. I bought this DVD in my unhealthy quest to see every Fay Wray film available, and I was pleasantly surprised that this was a fairly entertaining little film. Good locations, decent direction and photography (in spots), and a couple of twists made it well worth its short 75 minute running time. It's a bit creaky, and some of the acting doesn't hold up well, but overall not a bad effort. Fay looks great as the object of affection of the two men. There is even a scene where she is snatched from a boat by hostile dark skinned cannibals ala King Kong.

The final word is a good film, especially for Fay Wray fans like me.