A tale of love and immigrant smuggling in San Diego harbor, enlivened by some clever dialog. Example: "When two men agree, one of them is unnecessary." I grant you it's not a flight of poetry.
Lyon isn't bad as the newspaper reporter who gets mixed up with the chief smuggler and the smuggler's sexy young daughter, Colbert. It's true that someone like Gable or Spencer Tracy would have been an improvement, but Lyon's lackadaisical approach doesn't ruin the part. His chief job is to court Colbert in order to get evidence that will hang her father, who is particeps criminis, although Colbert believes him to be a simple fisherman.
Ernest Torrence is Colbert's father. Chinese workers pay him $700 to hide on his fishing boat and be brought ashore along with the catch du jour. If a Coast Guard cutter approaches, good old Torrance and his two crewmen will reluctantly dump the illegal Oriental passenger overboard, loaded with chains. It is a bit impolite but let's not condemn the old fellow, because he loves his daughter and brings her a pretty gift, given to him by the Oriental gentleman whom he just deep sixed. The boat carries other illegal stash as well, such as whiskey. God, it just occurred to me -- 1933, the depths of the Great Depressions AND prohibition! How bad can a national nightmare get?
The weighted body of that illegal immigrant is found by Lyons shortly after it's been dumped. In pursuit of a story, he rolls it up and deposits it on his office desk, while the editor argues with him. The body continues to be treated rudely. It's referred to several times as "the Chink." And when Lyons plops it on his desk, the editor shouts angrily, "What do you want ME to do with it -- have it stuffed?"
Torrence looks the part of the old barnacle, his weathered Scots face bewhiskered and corrugated. His acting is as old-fashioned as his appearance but the mug can play the piano in the local bawdy house and the audience is treated to tuneful ditties like "I Cover the Waterfront" and "Mighty Like a Rose." He and his crew overreach when harpooning a monstrous shark and the brutal scene that follows is right out of "Moby Dick" or "Jaws." The few scenes at sea are pretty good.
Tipped by Lyon, the Coast Guard catches Torrence smuggling illegals inside the bodies of huge (fake) sharks. The details regarding the Coast Guard's equipment and uniforms of the period haven't been well researched, but no matter.
The few scenes at sea are pretty good. The ending is serious and well handled. Direction by James Cruze is exceptional in a strictly functional way and in fact it's an exciting and funny movie.
Lyon isn't bad as the newspaper reporter who gets mixed up with the chief smuggler and the smuggler's sexy young daughter, Colbert. It's true that someone like Gable or Spencer Tracy would have been an improvement, but Lyon's lackadaisical approach doesn't ruin the part. His chief job is to court Colbert in order to get evidence that will hang her father, who is particeps criminis, although Colbert believes him to be a simple fisherman.
Ernest Torrence is Colbert's father. Chinese workers pay him $700 to hide on his fishing boat and be brought ashore along with the catch du jour. If a Coast Guard cutter approaches, good old Torrance and his two crewmen will reluctantly dump the illegal Oriental passenger overboard, loaded with chains. It is a bit impolite but let's not condemn the old fellow, because he loves his daughter and brings her a pretty gift, given to him by the Oriental gentleman whom he just deep sixed. The boat carries other illegal stash as well, such as whiskey. God, it just occurred to me -- 1933, the depths of the Great Depressions AND prohibition! How bad can a national nightmare get?
The weighted body of that illegal immigrant is found by Lyons shortly after it's been dumped. In pursuit of a story, he rolls it up and deposits it on his office desk, while the editor argues with him. The body continues to be treated rudely. It's referred to several times as "the Chink." And when Lyons plops it on his desk, the editor shouts angrily, "What do you want ME to do with it -- have it stuffed?"
Torrence looks the part of the old barnacle, his weathered Scots face bewhiskered and corrugated. His acting is as old-fashioned as his appearance but the mug can play the piano in the local bawdy house and the audience is treated to tuneful ditties like "I Cover the Waterfront" and "Mighty Like a Rose." He and his crew overreach when harpooning a monstrous shark and the brutal scene that follows is right out of "Moby Dick" or "Jaws." The few scenes at sea are pretty good.
Tipped by Lyon, the Coast Guard catches Torrence smuggling illegals inside the bodies of huge (fake) sharks. The details regarding the Coast Guard's equipment and uniforms of the period haven't been well researched, but no matter.
The few scenes at sea are pretty good. The ending is serious and well handled. Direction by James Cruze is exceptional in a strictly functional way and in fact it's an exciting and funny movie.