L'île aux serpents

Three beachcombers are thrown in jail for stealing the governor's pigs. They're let out on condition that Paul Kelly captain a schooner bound for Australia carrying a cargo of champagne; her captain has just died of smallpox. He takes along John Abbot and Rory Calhoun and discovers that the captain's daughter, Rhonda Fleming, is a passenger. They also find out that it's not champagne in the hold.

It's based on THE EBB-TIDE, a novel co-written by Robert Louis Stevenson. It had been turned into a movie twice before. As directed by Sam Newfield -- under a pseudonym, since he was now working for the respectable but tight-fisted "Dollar Bills" of Paramount -- it's a pure adventure story, combining bits and pieces of other plots, like Alan Napier as the mad White ruler of the title location. Newfield had a 29-day shooting schedule, longer than he had ever had before and shoots with his usual bland efficiency. It's exciting where it's supposed to be and if you get the feeling you've seen this all before, well, that's usually the case with Pine-Thomas productions. They used up-and-coming or down-on-their-luck performers in proven stories. Also, they always turned a profit.

There are a lot of happenings crammed into this 66 minute film. Despite all the comings and goings, running around, fire fighting, ship sailing, natives running and danger escaping the overall film just does not move along at a very fast pace. Scenes go on for too long where there is nothing but dialog to carry them. Action scenes are shorter and leave the film feeling a bit out of balance.

The print I watched was in black and white, a little soft in the focus and too dark. Such a shame too. I would have liked to have seen clear color footage of Rhonda Fleming rising out of the ocean surf in a clinging dress. Also the ending copyright date was 1942. So either the date on this site is wrong or the film was held back from release for five years.

Adventure Island is a dime store version of the Robert Louis Stevenson novel Ebb Tide which Paramount had already filmed on a considerably bigger budget a decade earlier. The difference between that A film and this B picture from the Pine-Thomas unit is readily noticeable.

Three derelicts on a beach get a chance to two escape imprisonment when they're offered a chance to sail a schooner with cargo that is flying a yellow flag of smallpox out of harbor. The captain and first mate are dead and it's up to Paul Kelly who used to be a captain and Rory Calhoun and John Abbott to take it out. The cargo also contains the late captain's daughter Rhonda Fleming.

This is not a happy quartet by any means and they have lots of differences of opinion until they reach an uncharted island where Alan Napier affecting the airs of an English squire rules the island because he's convinced the natives he's a god. Kind of like that other Paramount classic The Island of Dr. Moreau. He's a religious fanatic giving the natives guns and gospel while exploiting them to dive for pearls.

The main reason to see this film which is not one of the Pine-Thomas best films is Alan Napier who is having a ball with this part. If he could have he would have imported foxes to hunt.

It's not just greed over pearls and provisions it's Fleming. As a proper English gentleman and religious individual Napier is not about to go native as some of us would. But when redheaded Rhonda shows up, well let's say even the gods have their needs.

The print is washed out and the rest of the cast looks like they're waiting for the paychecks to clear from Paramount. But Napier is having a great old time gobbling away in a Thanksgiving special.

Sam Newfield directed and produced a ton of cheapo films during his career. So, when I saw he was responsible for this movie, I just assumed it was cheap crap....and I am glad I was only half right! While the film was made on a tiny budget, it turns out to be a good film...one well worth your time, particularly if you like seeing actors playing against type. What I mean by this is that the normally urbane British actors, John Abbott and Alan Napier, play folks nothing like their usual characters. Abbott plays a sociopathic alcoholic and Napier plays a megalomaniac with visions of godhood! Talk about playing against type!!

When the story begin, three losers (Rory Calhoun, Paul Kelly and John Abbott) meet up and form a strange partnership to pilot a ship to Sydney. However, soon after the trip begins, Herrick (Calhoun) realizes his two new friends and partners are complete rogues who plan on stealing the ship and cargo! But Herrick is an honorable rogue and insists they deliver the ship...as does the old skipper's daughter (Rhonda Fleming). However, during the course of this trip they're all in for a surprise...the cargo is fake and the ship was supposed to be scuttled. The only thing that stopped this was the unexpected death of the first captain.

Now with a boat of worthless water (instead of champagne), the group make their way towards an island they just discovered off the normal trade routes. This island is a major find....there are valuable pearls to be had there. But there is one serious problem...the island is controlled by a cold maniac (Napier) and he's got the locals convinced he's some sort of god! What's next....especially when this 'god' takes a liking to the lady and insists she stay??

I liked this film for two main reasons: the characters played by Napier and Abbott as well as the violence level in the film. It's not exactly gratuitous but folks get killed by snakes, acid and all sorts of nastiness which sure keeps your attention! The script is also surprisingly good and the film well worth your time...unlike MOST of the director's other work.

No, this isn't very good but actually the cast gel quite well as we get ourselves immersed in a seafaring adventure that's got piracy and insurance fraud in it! It hits the ground running, well the ocean really, with Rhonda Fleming's "Faith" determined to keep onto her half of a ship that belonged to her now dead dad and that is now being pointed towards the titular island by a trio of erstwhile pig rustlers. It's got a valuable cargo of champagne. Or has it? Hmmm. Anyway, "Capt. Lochlin" (Paul Kelly) and his very young looking mate "Herrick" (Rory Calhoun) soon ally with the gal, predicable romantic sparks fly and there's the malevolent "Attwater" (Alan Napier) to outwit in what has to be one of the daftest denouements I've seen. The budget, or lack of it, is obvious from the low standard of the production but the writing gives us the odd line to smile at and there's enough action too. Nope, you'll never remember it, but it's got just enough swash and buckle to keep it afloat for an hour.