''Fiend of Dope Island'', also released as ''Whiplash'', was a lurid

men's adventure Men's adventure is a genre of magazine that was published in the United States from the 1940s until the early 1970s. Catering to a male audience, these magazines featured pin-up girls and lurid tales of adventure that typically featured wartime fe ...

type motion picture filmed in 1959 and released in 1961. The picture starred and was co-written by

Bruce Bennett Bruce Bennett (born Harold Herman Brix, also credited Herman Brix; May 19, 1906February 24, 2007) was an American film and television actor who prior to his screen career was a highly successful college athlete in football and in both intercol ...

and was the final film directed by Nate Watt. It was filmed in

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

where producer J. Harold Odell had previously filmed his ''

Machete Older machete from Latin America Gerber machete/saw combo Agustín Cruz Tinoco of San Agustín de las Juntas, Oaxaca">San_Agustín_de_las_Juntas.html" ;"title="Agustín Cruz Tinoco of San Agustín de las Juntas">Agustín Cruz Tinoco of San ...

'' (1958) and '' Counterplot'' (1959). Several scenes were censored for the United States release.http://www.kshs.org/research/collections/documents/govtrecords/boardofreviewresults.php?page=43 The film co-stars Tania Velia, billed as the "Yugoslavian Bombshell" who had appeared in the July 1959 ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...

'', and Puerto Rican actor

Miguel Ángel Álvarez Miguel Ángel Álvarez, also known as "El Men," (August 25, 1941 – January 16, 2011), was a Puerto Rican actor and comedian. Early years Álvarez was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and when he was a child his family moved to Bayamón, Puerto ...

Plot

Charlie Davis runs his own island in the Caribbean with a literal whip hand. He makes his income as a

marijuana Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...

grower, exporter and gunrunner. He hires a female entertainer to amuse the clients of his

cantina A cantina is a type of bar common in Latin America and Spain. The word is similar in etymology to "canteen", and is derived from the Italian word for a cellar, winery, or vault. In Italy, the word ''cantina'' refers to a room below the ground ...

and himself. Charlie's world falls apart when one of his employees is an

undercover To go "undercover" (that is, to go on an undercover operation) is to avoid detection by the object of one's observation, and especially to disguise one's own identity (or use an assumed identity) for the purposes of gaining the trust of an indi ...

narcotics investigator. The trouble escalates to a full native

rebellion Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...

and

shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachimo ...

attack.

Legacy

The Cramps The Cramps were an American rock band formed in 1976 and active until 2006. Their lineup rotated frequently during their existence, with the husband-and-wife duo of singer Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy the only ever-present members. T ...

named their 2002 record album '' Fiends of Dope Island'' after the film.

Cast

as Charlie Davis *

Robert Bray Robert E. Bray (October 23, 1917 – March 7, 1983) was an American film and television actor known for playing the forest ranger Corey Stuart in the CBS series '' Lassie'', He also starred in ''Stagecoach West'' and as Mike Hammer in the mo ...

as David * Tania Velia as Glory La Verne *Ralph A. Rodriguez as Naru *

as Capt. Fred

Notes

External links

* * 1950s adventure films 1959 films American films about cannabis Films set in the Caribbean Films shot in Puerto Rico American black-and-white films Films directed by Nate Watt American adventure films 1960s English-language films 1950s English-language films Films produced by David Odell 1950s American films 1960s American films {{adventure-film-stub