La furie des tropiques

Lt. Willard Francis Slattery {Richard Widmark}, a former Navy pilot, is in control of this Grumman Mallard Aeroplane. He's flying right into the centre of a storm, a ferocious storm gathering momentum, here Slattery reviews his latter day life.

Slattery's Hurricane is directed by André De Toth and also stars Linda Darnell, Veronica Lake, John Russell and Gary Merill. It's based around a story written by Herman Wouk, and it's with Wouk that the interesting back story to the film belongs. Herman Wouk was of course the writer of Pulitzer Prize winning novel-The Caine Mutiny {also made into a fabulous film starring Humphrey Bogart}. It was while Wouk was researching weather data for "Mutiny" that he got the genesis for Slattery's Hurricane. Pitching it to 20th Century Fox, he got the go ahead for a screenplay, and feeling inspired he turned his short story into a fully fledged book.

Adapted by Richard Murphy, Slattery's Hurricane is a real good film stopped from being a great one due to the inevitable interference from the Production Code Administartion. Research into the film, and those who know the novel, shows the story to be a spiky one about adultery, drug smuggling and drug addiction, with closely formed characterisations leading the way. The observant will spot these things in the film anyway, but the toning down leaves us with a more melodramatic picture than a sharply dark one that the story deserved. However, it's with much credit to De Toth and his cast that the film is still an engrossing mood piece set around the birth of a raging hurricane, a hurricane that is not just of the storm itself, but of the emotional state of Will Slattery too. Grim nature and the troubled human condition dovetailing to create our finale of Slattery's Hurricane.

Richard Widmark is good value {wasn't he always?} as the lead protagonist, mean, moody and even menacing in his selfishness, Slattery called for an actor capable of blending emotional layers. The studio had wanted Tyrone Power for the role {perhaps showing the high hopes they had for the film?}, but they got Widmark instead, who rewards them {and us} with yet another memorable performance. Linda Darnell, softly spoken, sexy and exuding a femme fatale sheen, does well with what is a surprisingly underwritten part, tho we can probably thank {not!} the PCA for that issue. Veronica Lake, then married to director De Toth, had hoped for the film to signal a comeback for her faltering career, it wasn't to be, and that's sad because she's really rather great here. Heartfelt and giving the story a crucial counter point edge to Widmark's unfolding state, Lake served notice that she still had some quality to offer cinema. John Russell and Gary Merrill {whose opening narration sets the tone} do what is needed, but rightly play second fiddle to the three principals.

It could have done with better villains than the portrayals given by Walter Kingsford and Joe De Santis, but Slattery's Huricane remains a fine movie begging to be seen by more people. Still not given a DVD release and rarely shown on television, it's a film that if you get a chance to see it then you should grab that opportunity with both hands. 7/10

"Slattery's Hurricane" is not a particularly good film and is a rare career misfire for a young Richard Widmark. Oddly, the bizarre and unlikable plot was from a story by Herman Wouk--a very accomplished writer. Perhaps the screenplay completely botched his story...perhaps he just had a misfire.

Slattery (Widmark) is flying into a hurricane when the film begins. He then has a series of flashbacks that take up most of the rest of the film. It seems that after leaving active duty in the Navy, Slattery's made money flying charters. While he might be working for drug dealers, the money is good and Slattery asks no questions. Additionally, while he has a long-suffering girlfriend (Veronica Lake), he completely ignores her and begins chasing after a friend's wife!! All in all, he's a total jerk and only later, when receiving the Navy Cross (awarded for service during WWII--it was given to Slattery while he was in the Naval Reserves) does he start to reassess his life. But who cares?!

The film has many problems--the biggest of which is the blandness of most of the characters. Darnell cheats on her husband...but you know nothing more about her. Lake is a doormat and nothing more. And Slattery's 'friend' (John Russell) is also quite bland--which is odd considering he often had a commanding presence in films. Add to that that Slattery is thoroughly despicable, you really wonder why you're even watching this film in the first place!

What do you call a best friend who tries to steal your wife from you. He also has the Navy Cross (the equivalent of the Medal of Honor). He might have a medal for honor, but he really doesn't have much honor.

Anyway, this scumbag tries to redeem himself by flying into a hurricane. Brilliant.

Linda Darnell appears to be the woman of desire by both Widmark and some B actor. Sorry, I would prefer Veronica Lake anytime over Darnell (despite the most atrocious screen hair style ever given to an actress in the history of film. Please, my grandmother had a more current hair style than the one dreamed up by this stylist. It may have been a device to make Lake look less sexy (a hard thing to do). And if that was the case, then the ruse was successful. Anyway, a passable potboiler.

I have to say that I have never thought highly of Director Andre de Toth and SLATTERY'S HURRICANE certainly does nothing to alter that impression.

In addition to boasting beauties like Veronica Lake and Linda Darnell, the film's best calling card is stock footage of hurricanes over the Miami and Caribbean regions. Richard Widmark, as usual, decides to be the bad boy and punches up his superior to take an aircraft out into a hurricane, looking for its eye.

After some insubordinate behavior that includes disregarding orders from Gary Merrill on the tower to land the plane, Widmark valiantly goes through a series of personal flashbacks over his relationships with Lake, John Russell, and Darnell.

In the end, despite all his tomfoolery and indiscipline, he seems set for another medal, after leaving one in Lake's hands. So much BS deserves a hurricane indeed! 5/10.

After a brief meteorology lesson on just what causes hurricanes, we start with a pilot coshing his mate and stealing a plane. Sadly, that's about as exciting as this gets as we discover that the pilot is WWII veteran "Slattery" (Richard Widmark) who has been quite happily flying around Florida delivering what needs delivering - regardless of what it is! Anyway, as he powers through the sky and into the path of the eponymous storm, he starts to have flashbacks of just what led him to his current predicament. That's where we come in. We get to share those memories as his fairly selfish behaviour impacted on the lives of "Aggie" (Linda Darnell), "Dolores" (Veronica Lake) as well as on his military buddies led by the typically unremarkable Gary Merrill's "Kramer". There are plenty of windy audio effects and the sound stage sprinkler system was well put through it's paces, but the rather episodic style of the presentation along with way too much verbiage and a really rather lacklustre who did what to whom melodrama really never quite takes off. I always found Darnell to be a bit hit or miss, and here she hasn't loads to work with as the story takes us to where we know we have to end up... It's watchable, Saturday afternoon B-fayre, but I doubt you'll recall it for long afterwards.