Mara Maru

It is beyond me why critics had such a problem with Errol Flynn. He was, even in his worst films, an excellent actor. I think people let his personal flaws and wild personal life cloud their opinion. I think Errol Flynn is one of the most under-rated actors in the history of film, and never got the respect he deserved. Yes, part of that is certainly his own fault, but definitely not all of it.

Mara Maru is unquestionably one of Flynn's lesser films. It is a bit slow in parts, and there are a couple of plot holes that one must overlook, but I found myself overlooking them and just watching the movie to be entertained. If one does this, the movie is certainly worth a viewing. I found Ruth Roman such a blessing, as she was not one of those melodramatic, chew-the-wallpaper actresses from the old studio system...she was grounded, strong, and REALLY beautiful. The rest of the supporting cast was pretty good, too. Raymond Burr is always fun to watch as a bad guy, and I enjoyed the two actors who portrayed the Filipino boys. Paul Picerni and Dan Seymour I found to be a little over the top, but not so bad that they were totally annoying or unwatchable. And, for me, anything with Errol Flynn is fun...even in a mediocre film...there is just something about the guy that I like.

I'm giving the movie a 6 out of 10 mostly because of the solid B-film performances, competent directing through most of the film (I think the flaws are derived from poor editing, not from the directing), and for the ever-enjoyable Errol Flynn. I think those coming to the film with realistic expectations, prepared for B-film entertainment, and willing to overlook the weaknesses of the screenplay, will find themselves in for an enjoyable film experience.

Mara Maru came in Errol Flynn's career at a time when Warner Brothers and the rest of Hollywood for the most part was trying to divest itself of its big name stars and the salaries they commanded. It's the kind of a film that studios were giving stars to satisfy whatever commitments were still under contract. They did not think this was worth going to the Phillipines to shoot even.

In plot it's similar to a Glenn Ford film The Green Glove where another war veteran is searching for an object that's both valuable in monetary terms and has great religious significance. In tone Mara Maru looks like something that might have been meant for another Bogey and Bacall teaming.

Flynn plays a part of a World War II veteran who is a charter boat captain out of the Phillipines who knows the location of a jeweled cross taken from a church with the coming of the Japanese and sunk somewhere in the seas off Luzon. So does his partner Richard Webb who talks a little too much in a Manila bar and winds up dead.

Which doesn't concern Webb's wife Ruth Roman who is doing a Lauren Bacall knockoff of a performance. She's got a thing for Flynn in any event. Of course master villain Raymond Burr is behind a whole lot of things that befall Flynn until Flynn uses his boat to take him to the lost cross. It's an uneasy type alliance as you can gather. In the mix is Paul Picerni playing a Peter Lorre type part. Picerni is a man of very shifting loyalties and his part is terribly underwritten.

Some underwater sequences could have used some color to appreciate them better, something Jack Warner wasn't about to splurge for in this potboiler. Mara Maru is not a bad film, but it's certainly nothing that any of Errol Flynn's fans would put at the top five for him.

Errol Flynn plays "Mason" co-owner of a salvage operstion based in Manila.His partner ,Callahan ,is a drunk who claims that he has the key to a fortune in lost diamonds ,sunk on board a vessel fleeing Manila before the Japanese occupation.When he is murdered suspicion falls on Mason especially when it becomes clear there is a mutual attraction between him and Callahan's widow (Ruth Roman ).Cleared of murder by the testimony of a private eye ,Ranier (well played by Paul Picerni)he is hired by the wealthy Benedict (Raymond Burr )to track down the treasure. The scene is set for betrayal ,shipwreck and a lively climax in the catacombs under Manila Cathedral. The movie sags a little in the underwater scenes which are murky and uninvolving but overall its a lively if minor thriller albeit one in which the ravages of the star's off screen debauchery are reflected in Flynn's appearance and slightly weary performance.Burr is admirable as the heavy and Roman is fine like most of the cast while the Max Steiner score is a big bonus.

Good time passer but a long way from the stars glory days.

Sometimes I like a film and I'll even have a hard time really being able to explain why.

One example is this 1952 programmer from Warner Brothers. It was clearly a come down for star Errol Flynn who was being shoved off by the studio into a bit of a cheapie black and white production as a fulfillment of their contract with him. It would be, in fact, Flynn's last studio made film on his Warners contract.

While there are no particular surprises in the story line of this tale about sunken treasure, it is smoothly and efficiently directed by Gordon Douglas, who seemed to get saddled with a lot of the films with lesser scripts. Make it work, Gordon, they seemed to say and he did. The Curtiz and Walsh rejects seemed to go to Douglas.

Ruth Roman is Errol's leading lady this time out. No real sparks between them. Raymond Burr in his early heavy days (heavy as in villain, as well as weight) is the two faced opponent whose duplicity is pretty obvious right from his first appearance in the film.

Flynn goes through the motions in his role for the most part but even when Errol isn't really trying, his understated performances still tend to satisfy me. Then, suddenly as the film approaches the end, Flynn starts to do some real acting. It happens in a scene in which he angrily slaps his Filipino assistant across the face and then shows remorse for his behaviour. It reminded me once again of what a good actor he could be when he put his mind to it. Recommended for watching talent in front of and behind the camera wrestle with and prevail with a so-so story.

In 1952, Errol Flynn still looked passably good. He was one of the handsomest men in the movies, after all, and though he was an alcoholic, his face hadn't been completely destroyed yet. And he was trim. In the earlier "Cry Wolf" he was quite bloated.

The story concerns a salvage diver working in the Philippines, Gregory Mason, who finds his partner Callahan (Richard Webb) drunk in a bar and talking about treasure. Later he's found dead, and Mason is accused.

A private detective is able to clear him of the murder. Mason is hired by a man named Brock Benedict (Raymond Burr) to find a briefcase lost during a voyage. It supposedly contains diamonds. The late Callahan knew where the ship went down.

Mason takes the job, but is warned by another salvager not to work with Benedict, but with him instead. Mason ignores him. To his surprise, Callahan's widow Stella (Ruth Roman) who is in love with Mason, and vice versa, is on the salvage voyage as well.

Stella is certain that Benedict, once he gets the briefcase, is going to kill Mason. She urges him to end the voyage by saying a typhoon is coming and it can't be risked. Mason refuses and says he can take care of himself.

Mason is later faced with a moral dilemma.

Some exciting scenes. One rather annoying thing was that Flynn wore this helmet-like thing over his head, and he looked out at the ocean through a window built into it. Well, they used the same shot of him looking into the sea through the window over and over, and it was obviously the same shot. I don't know much about deep sea diving, but what he was wearing looked like a heavy suit of armor. I would think that would work against you.

All the actors were up to the task, Burr always playing an effective villain in those days; and Flynn gives a strong performance, as does Ruth Roman.

Ben Mankiewicz described Flynn as one of the most popular stars in the world, which is true, but he wasn't there as long as many of his contemporaries. By the late '40s Warners was giving him lower budget, black and white films, with the exception of That Forsyte Woman. He had a good ten years.

TCM, in an effort to make it seem as if the stars at MGM, RKO, and Warners were the true stars and the people at 20th Century Fox, etc. did some acting on the side, won't tell you that Flynn does not appear in the top 200 box office stars of all time. Still, it was a wonderful career for a handsome, athletic actor of great charm.

Maru Maru is entertaining and pretty good.