A Gene Corman Production, filmed entirely in the Caribbean. Copyright 1960 by 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. No New York opening. U.S. release: October 1960. U.K. release: 12 February 1961. Australian release: 19 January 1961. 81 minutes. Censored to 79 minutes in Britain and Australia.
SYNOPSIS: On the wild Purple Reef during one of the hurricanes that whip these dangerous seas, a fishing vessel belonging to the Christopher family has vanished without trace. Young Mark Christopher (Jeff Richards) and his brother Dean (Richard Chamberlain), unable to locate a single member of the crew, must collect evidence — no matter how slight — or risk losing their insurance claim.
The same storm has carried off another ship, "The Dagger", and the brothers learn that its engineer, Ashby (Terence de Marney), a man wanted for murder in the United States, is likely to know something about both wrecks. Invading the steaming jungle, they track down the fugitive, force from him clues leading to a neighboring town and a cabaret managed by his daughter, glamorous Rue Amboy (Margia Dean) and her sinister, sullen partner, Weber (Peter Falk).
VIEWERS' GUIDE: Strictly adults.
COMMENT: Disappointing. The ads look great. But despite Kay Norton's wonderfully scenic CinemaScope backgrounds, the plot moves at a sluggish pace with lots and lots of talkative and woodenly acted scenes (particularly by the young principals), interspersed with a few particularly violent action spots.
The movie is "cheap" in all three meanings of the word: Cheap to make, cheap to actually look at, and cheap to view as a "support" at some third-rate neighborhood cinema!
SYNOPSIS: On the wild Purple Reef during one of the hurricanes that whip these dangerous seas, a fishing vessel belonging to the Christopher family has vanished without trace. Young Mark Christopher (Jeff Richards) and his brother Dean (Richard Chamberlain), unable to locate a single member of the crew, must collect evidence — no matter how slight — or risk losing their insurance claim.
The same storm has carried off another ship, "The Dagger", and the brothers learn that its engineer, Ashby (Terence de Marney), a man wanted for murder in the United States, is likely to know something about both wrecks. Invading the steaming jungle, they track down the fugitive, force from him clues leading to a neighboring town and a cabaret managed by his daughter, glamorous Rue Amboy (Margia Dean) and her sinister, sullen partner, Weber (Peter Falk).
VIEWERS' GUIDE: Strictly adults.
COMMENT: Disappointing. The ads look great. But despite Kay Norton's wonderfully scenic CinemaScope backgrounds, the plot moves at a sluggish pace with lots and lots of talkative and woodenly acted scenes (particularly by the young principals), interspersed with a few particularly violent action spots.
The movie is "cheap" in all three meanings of the word: Cheap to make, cheap to actually look at, and cheap to view as a "support" at some third-rate neighborhood cinema!