This is a film that I learned about when searching out horror films from 1935. Now there is a discrepancy here. The Internet Movie Database lists this as 1935 where Letterboxd has it as 1936. I can only use one as my 'definitive' so I go with IMDb. This film also has multiple titles and even a different version that came out a decade later. I was able to find this on YouTube, but I'm not completely sure that this wasn't the updated version.
Synopsis: a ship disappears without a trace. Years later, his friends come looking for him.
We then start this film off with voice over narration from Robert Jackson (Barry Norton). We learn that he is from a coastal town of San Pietro. He lives here with his father, Captain Jackson (Jack Barty). His best friend was Jose Francisco (Jack Del Rio), but he went to sea and disappeared. Jose was seeing a local schoolteacher, Louise (Blanche Mehaffey), who is still in love with him.
Now Robert has fallen for her. He doesn't want to be a sailor like this father. That all changes with a request from Jose's mother, played by Mary Carr. She wants to know what happened to her son before she passes away. He agrees then to join his father's crew, on the condition they check islands along their route for any sign of Jose.
This brings Robert the chance to see different wildlife. His journeys have him considering doing this for a living. Capt. Jackson and his crew aren't as excited, they've seen many of these sights before. Their search then brings them to a specific island. There is a wrecked ship that looks like the one that Jose sailed on. The chief of the island is played by William Lemuels. He greets them and invites the crew to a celebration. They don't get many visitors. It also that the ship they saw wreck had one survivor.
The man turns out to be Jose. He is set to marry the chief's daughter, Maya (Maya Owalee). Robert wants him to come back with them. Jose is a part of an interesting story they heard. Fishing was difficult here due to the sea creature known as the devil fish. Jose supposedly killed one. Robert and his crew do something nefarious to get Jose to come with them, but this leads to dangerous results as they're led straight into the hunting grounds of this large animal.
That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction. I didn't want to give too much away for this story but there isn't much to it if I'm going to be honest. This film has about fifteen to twenty minutes of story with a lot of filler. When our crew hits the sea, we get to see birds, sea lions and then they end up on this island with natives doing their normal daily routines. That is the bulk of the time.
I should also say that I have a feeling that the version I watched was Devil Monster, the re-issue from 1946. There were topless 'natives' which seemed to be added later. I hate to end this section with a negative, but all the stock footage does make this boring. Those were well shot though, so credit to whomever did it.
Then to go along with this, we have a basic story. Jose went missing while at sea. His ex and mother want him back. Robert is being a good guy by going to see. It is partially a selfish reason. He hopes that Louise will still choose him over Jose, but that also feels like a pipedream. Robert doesn't seem to have a fear of being a sailor, he just wants to do something different from his father. I'll also say that I don't hate the idea of island hopping, looking for Jose as that is a solid set up.
Something else that isn't horrible is the idea of the 'devil fish'. We got to see stock footage of fish, octopus and mori eels. What is funny is that Robert claims he's watching these in a pond or river, when clearly there are saltwater creatures in an aquarium. There is a manta ray that we see. I'll go ahead and say that it is what the creature is that attacks our boat later. It is a giant devil ray. I like this. They went practically. It doesn't look real but there's still charm there. The problem is that they run into this with like ten minutes left in the film. I could have used more of that instead of what we got.
One last thing to do with the story that is odd is that Jose ends up being kidnapped to return him to San Pietro. He decides to get revenge by directing the crew to where they can catch fish. The revenge is that he knows there's a devil fish roaming that area. There is a comeuppance for him. I will credit the film that we see, getting revenge isn't worth it and those that try get the short end of the stick.
Let's then go over to the acting. The wooden acting, save for Norton, is a major issue. Mehaffey and Carr show emotion but are given minimal screentime. Barty excels as the stern yet kind captain. Del Rio is fine as Jose and his revenge is understandable. Oddly enough, he gets the girl regardless. Terry Grey as Tiny the cook provides comedy. While Lemuels, Owalee, and Donato Cabrera are fine as natives, their casting raises questions regarding their racial backgrounds.
All that is left then is filmmaking. The cinematography and framing are fine. There aren't that many new shots here so that is part of the problem. I do think that the stuff on the boat looks real enough. The location they go to on the islands feels exotic. I should credit the editing to incorporate as much of the stock footage as they can. This is definitely some Ed Wood Jr. Or Bruno Mattei level. I will give credit to the charm of the practical devil fish. The soundtrack didn't stand out to me. This just falls short here.
In conclusion, this is a film with a promising premise that ultimately falls short. While it offers some interesting concepts like the 'devil fish' and a solid setup for adventure, the execution is hampered by excessive stock footage, a drawn-out narrative and wooden acting. Despite a few charming practical effects and glimpses of emotion from the cast, the film struggles to maintain engagement, leaving the viewer with a sense of missed opportunity.
My Rating: 3 out of 10.
