''Strange Cargo'' is a 1929 American

mystery film A mystery film is a genre of film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur Detective, sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means ...

directed by

Arthur Gregor Arthur Gregor (1890–1948) was an Austrian-born American playwright and film director.Goble p.192 Selected filmography * ''The Count of Luxembourg'' (1926) * '' Say It with Diamonds'' (1927) * '' Women's Wares'' (1927) * '' Phyllis of the Fol ...

and starring Lee Patrick,

June Nash June C. Nash (May 30, 1927 – December 9, 2019) was a social and feminist anthropologist and Distinguished Professor Emerita at the City University of New York (CUNY). She conducted extensive field work throughout the United States and Lati ...

and

George Barraud George Barraud (17 December 1889, in Paddington, London, England – January 1970, in London, England) was a British film actor. Selected filmography * '' Little Old New York'' (1923) * '' Flaming Youth'' (1923) * '' The Wolf Man'' (1924) * ''Ne ...

. It was the first full

sound film A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...

produced by

Pathé Exchange Pathé Exchange, commonly known as Pathé, was an American film production and distribution company, largely of Hollywood's silent era. Known for its groundbreaking newsreel and wide array of shorts, it grew out of the American division of the ...

, shortly afterwards to be merged into the

major studio Major film studios are production and distribution companies that release a substantial number of films annually and consistently command a significant share of box office revenue in a given market. In the American and international markets, the ...

RKO Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orphe ...

. A separate silent version was also produced for theaters that had not yet been wired for sound. It was based on a play called ''The Missing Man'', with the adaptation worked on by an uncredited

Paul Bern Paul Bern (born Paul Levy; December 3, 1889September 5, 1932) was a German-born American film director, screenwriter, and producer for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where he became the assistant to Irving Thalberg. He helped launch the career of Jean Harlo ...

. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film industry, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and ...

Edward C. Jewell Edward C. Jewell (1894–1963) was an American art director who worked on the sets of over a hundred and fifty film productions during his career. He worked for a variety of studios including Columbia Pictures in the 1930s and Producers Releasing ...

. It received a good critical reception following its

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

premiere.Fleming p.133

Premise

On board a

yacht A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...

sailing from

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

, the owner of the vessel is murdered by one of the passengers.

Cast

* Lee Patrick as Diana Foster *

as Ruth *

as Bruce Lloyd *

Cosmo Kyrle Bellew Cosmo Kyrle Bellew (November 23, 1883–January 25, 1948) was a British/American vaudeville and film actor. Cosmo Bellew in 1925 Biography Bellew, the son of noted silent film actor Kyrle Bellew and Alice Racketrow, was born in London, England, ...

as Sir Richard Barclay *

Russell Gleason Russell Gleason (February 6, 1908 – December 25, 1945) was an American actor who began his career at the very beginning of the talking film era. Born into an acting family, one of his earliest roles was in the 1930 classic film, ''All Quiet on ...

as Hungerford *

Frank Reicher Frank Reicher (born Franz Reicher; December 2, 1875 – January 19, 1965) was a German-born American actor, director and producer. He is best known for playing Captain Englehorn in the 1933 film ''King Kong''. Early life Reicher was born in Mu ...

as Dr. Stecker *

Claude King Claude King (February 5, 1923 – March 7, 2013) was an American country music singer and songwriter, best known for his million selling 1962 hit, "Wolverton Mountain". Biography King was born in Keithville in southern Caddo Parish south ...

as Yacht Captain *

Ned Sparks Ned Sparks (born Edward Arthur Sparkman, November 19, 1883 – April 3, 1957) was a Canadian-born character actor of the American stage and screen. He was known for his deadpan expression and comically nasal, monotone delivery. Life and career ...

as Yacht First Mate *

Josephine Brown Elizabeth Josephine Brown (June 12, 1839 – January 16, 1874) was the daughter and biographer of escaped African-American slave William Wells Brown and his first wife Elizabeth Schooner. Josephine's account, ''Biography of an American Bondman, b ...

as Mrs. Townsend *

Chuck Hamilton Charles George Hamilton (born January 18, 1939) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played four games in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens and St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ic ...

as Boatswain *

George Beranger George Beranger (27 March 1893 – 8 March 1973), also known as André Beranger, was an Australian silent film actor and director in Hollywood.Naturalization Records of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, Centra ...

as First Stranger *

Otto Matieson Otto Matieson (27 March 1893 – 19 February 1932) was a Danish actor of the silent era. He appeared in 45 films between 1920 and 1931. He was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, and died in a car accident in Safford, Arizona. Filmography * '' T ...

as Second Stranger * Harry Allen as Short *

Warner Richmond Warner Richmond (born Werner Paul Otto Raetzmann; January 11, 1886 – June 19, 1948) was an American stage and film actor. He began his career as a stock theatre actor and appeared in films in both the silent film and sound eras. His career spa ...

as Neil Stoker

References

Bibliography

* Fleming, E.J. ''Paul Bern: The Life and Famous Death of the MGM Director and Husband of Harlow''. McFarland, 2008.

External links

* 1929 films 1929 mystery films American mystery films Films directed by Arthur Gregor Seafaring films Pathé Exchange films 1920s English-language films 1920s American films {{mystery-film-stub