This is the kind of film I like to describe as a seafaring Western. It's got some of the elements of that more distinctive movie genre, like the classic villain taking advantage of his fellow colleagues, a pretty gal torn between two manly suitors, and an ultimate showdown to make sure that right wins out over might.
Ray Milland and John Wayne are rugged adversaries in the picture, though if you follow the story, Captain Jack Stuart's (Wayne) turn into a heavy is largely based on a misunderstanding and unintended consequences. As a go-between for shipping magnate Commodore Devereaux (Walter Hampden) and Loxi Claiborne (Paulette Goddard), Stephen Tolliver (Milland) would have sponsored Captain Stuart's command of a steamship outright. Not knowing this however, Miss Claiborne's interference resulted in Stuart placing his bets with corrupt attorney King Cutler (Raymond Massey). I was a little surprised by the way the story unfolded to make Captain Stuart as much a villain as his scheming benefactor. John Wayne still hadn't had his celebrity established as the all-American good guy, so he didn't come out of this picture the hero one might have expected.
There were a couple of disconnects in the story that had me somewhat puzzled. During the jury trial, when the Judge (Davison Clark) called Loxi as a witness for the court, he asked if Tolliver mentioned to her his suspicion that Captain Stuart would wreck the Southern Cross. But how could the judge assume that, if that's what the trial was about? And the other head scratcher involved the death of Drusilla Alston (Susan Hayward) when The Southern Cross rammed into the shoals of the Florida Keys and sank into the ocean. It was as if this was the first time anyone noticed the absence of a woman who hadn't been seen or heard from in a while. That just seemed rather bizarre to me.
As for that underwater search for Miss Alston, I'd have to agree that the appearance of the giant squid did seem a bit hokey, but not as bad as some of the cheesy efforts made in other sci-fi or adventure films of the era. Captain Stuart's demise amid the confusion of tangled hoses and ocean debris was thankfully handled off screen, as who wants to see a John Wayne character die, although he did do it more than once in his films. The final reconciliation between Miss Loxi and Stephen Tolliver seemed preordained with Stuart out of the picture, but I still had to ask myself how realistic that was considering all the lengths she went to on behalf of the Captain.
Ray Milland and John Wayne are rugged adversaries in the picture, though if you follow the story, Captain Jack Stuart's (Wayne) turn into a heavy is largely based on a misunderstanding and unintended consequences. As a go-between for shipping magnate Commodore Devereaux (Walter Hampden) and Loxi Claiborne (Paulette Goddard), Stephen Tolliver (Milland) would have sponsored Captain Stuart's command of a steamship outright. Not knowing this however, Miss Claiborne's interference resulted in Stuart placing his bets with corrupt attorney King Cutler (Raymond Massey). I was a little surprised by the way the story unfolded to make Captain Stuart as much a villain as his scheming benefactor. John Wayne still hadn't had his celebrity established as the all-American good guy, so he didn't come out of this picture the hero one might have expected.
There were a couple of disconnects in the story that had me somewhat puzzled. During the jury trial, when the Judge (Davison Clark) called Loxi as a witness for the court, he asked if Tolliver mentioned to her his suspicion that Captain Stuart would wreck the Southern Cross. But how could the judge assume that, if that's what the trial was about? And the other head scratcher involved the death of Drusilla Alston (Susan Hayward) when The Southern Cross rammed into the shoals of the Florida Keys and sank into the ocean. It was as if this was the first time anyone noticed the absence of a woman who hadn't been seen or heard from in a while. That just seemed rather bizarre to me.
As for that underwater search for Miss Alston, I'd have to agree that the appearance of the giant squid did seem a bit hokey, but not as bad as some of the cheesy efforts made in other sci-fi or adventure films of the era. Captain Stuart's demise amid the confusion of tangled hoses and ocean debris was thankfully handled off screen, as who wants to see a John Wayne character die, although he did do it more than once in his films. The final reconciliation between Miss Loxi and Stephen Tolliver seemed preordained with Stuart out of the picture, but I still had to ask myself how realistic that was considering all the lengths she went to on behalf of the Captain.