''She Gods of Shark Reef'' is a 1958 B-

adventure film An adventure film is a form of adventure fiction, and is a genre of film. Subgenres of adventure films include swashbuckler films, pirate films, and survival films. Adventure films may also be combined with other film genres such as action, an ...

directed by

Roger Corman Roger William Corman (born April 5, 1926) is an American film director, producer, and actor. He has been called "The Pope of Pop Cinema" and is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. Many of Corman's films are based on works t ...

that was partially filmed on location in

Kaua'i Kauai, () anglicized as Kauai ( ), is geologically the second-oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands (after Niʻihau). With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), it is the fourth-largest of these islands and the 21st largest island ...

back to back with '' Thunder over Hawaii'' in 1956. The film was distributed in 1958 by

American International Pictures American International Pictures (AIP) is an American motion picture production label of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In its original operating period, AIP was an independent film production and distribution company known for producing and releasing fi ...

as a

double feature The double feature is a motion picture industry phenomenon in which theatres would exhibit two films for the price of one, supplanting an earlier format in which one feature film and various short subject reels would be shown. Opera use Opera ho ...

with ''

Night of the Blood Beast ''Night of the Blood Beast'' is a 1958 American science fiction film, science-fiction horror film about a team of scientists who are stalked by an alien creature, which implants its embryos in an astronaut's body during a space flight. Produced b ...

''.

Plot

A young and reckless criminal, Jim (

Don Durant Don Durant (born Donald Allison Durae; November 20, 1932 – March 15, 2005) was an American actor and singer, best known for his role as the gunslinger-turned-sheriff in the CBS Western series ''Johnny Ringo'', which ran on Thursdays from Octobe ...

), stows away on his brother Chris Johnston's (Bill Cord) boat after killing two men interrupting his

gun running Arms trafficking or gunrunning is the illicit trade of contraband small arms and ammunition, which constitutes part of a broad range of illegal activities often associated with transnational criminal organizations. The illegal trade of small ...

. As they sail out to the

Sulu Sea The Sulu Sea ( fil, Dagat Sulu; Tausug: ''Dagat sin Sūg''; Chavacano: ''Mar de Sulu''; Cebuano: ''Dagat sa Sulu''; Hiligaynon: ''Dagat sang Sulu''; Karay-a: ''Dagat kang Sulu''; Cuyonon: ''Dagat i'ang Sulu''; ms, Laut Sulu) is a body o ...

, they are caught in a terrible storm and are shipwrecked off a beautiful island that is inhabited by a secretive all-female village of

pearl diver Pearl hunting, also known as pearling, is the activity of recovering pearls from wild molluscs, usually oysters or mussels, in the sea or freshwater. Pearl hunting was prevalent in the Persian Gulf region and Japan for thousands of years. On the ...

s. Though the lonely and beautiful women of the island are friendly and flirtatious with the two brothers (the only remaining survivors), the village elder Queen Pua (Jeanne Gearson) is cautious and hostile, wanting the two off the island as soon as possible. Chris falls in love with one of the island beauties, Mahia (

Lisa Montell Lisa Janti (born July 5, 1933), known as Lisa Montell when performing as a Hollywood actress of the 1950–60s, later shifted her career to one of advocacy and service to various disadvantaged groups and to her adopted religion, the Baháʼí Fa ...

), while Jim, being a wanted man, seeks to escape before the naval ship sent to rescue them arrives. Terrified of being recognized and executed for his crimes, Jim fixes one of the islanders' broken boats and lets his brother and his forbidden love in on his plan. But before they can leave, the black-hearted criminal is overcome by greed and steals the islanders' precious pearls, injuring a native in the process. Once out to sea, Chris discovers what his sibling has done and tries to stop him in a fight on some jagged rocks. Jim tries to get away, but he gets tangled in the boat's ropes and falls to the sea, where a shark kills him, finally punishing him for his crimes.

Cast

* Bill Cord as Chris, alias Christy Johnston *

as Jim, alias Lee Johnston *

as Mahia * Jeanne Gerson as Queen Pua * Carol Lindsay as One of the Hula Dancers *

Ed Nelson Edwin Stafford Nelson (December 21, 1928 – August 9, 2014) was an American actor, best known for his role as Dr. Michael Rossi in the television series '' Peyton Place''. Nelson appeared in episodes of many TV programs, more than 50 mov ...

as Guard * Beverly Rivera as Island Girl

Production

The film was announced in July 1956 with singer Don Durant to make his acting debut. The film was originally entitled ''Shark Reef'', with the "She Gods" part added at the insistence of

, who picked it up for distribution. It was shot in two weeks back to back with ''

Naked Paradise ''Naked Paradise'' (sometimes credited as ''Thunder Over Hawaii'') is a 1957 drama film directed by Roger Corman. It stars Richard Denning and Beverly Garland. Corman later asked Charles Griffith, who worked on the script, to reuse his screenplay ...

'', with Corman only taking one day off in between. Corman says the experience was his most enjoyable one making movies to date. The film was shot at the

Coco Palms Resort Coco Palms Resort was a resort hotel in Wailua, Kauai County, Hawaii, Wailuā, Kauai, Kauaʻi, Hawaii, Hawaiʻi, that was noted for its Cinema of the United States, Hollywood connections, Hawaiian-themed weddings, torch lighting ceremonies, dest ...

with the thatched huts of the hotel grounds being used as the native village. Corman only had one shark to photograph, but obtained

stock footage Stock footage, and similarly, archive footage, library pictures, and file footage is film or video footage that can be used again in other films. Stock footage is beneficial to filmmakers as it saves shooting new material. A single piece of stock ...

of other sharks Corman left for Hawaii to make it in August 1958. The film was made for an independent, Ludwig H. Gerber, who was hoping for the film to be picked up and released by a major studio. This did not happen. The film was instead sold to AIP in 1958, who released it.

Reception

The ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' called it "a poor script, indifferently performed." The ''Los Angeles Times'' said it only had two things to recommend it: "it is in color and it is only 63 minutes long." Film critic Lisa Marie Bowman wrote that the film has a "somewhat haphazard story", that its "low budget is obvious in every frame," and " is is one of those films where the action stops for nearly five minutes so that irectorCorman can film a hula dancer."

References

External links

* * * *
''She Gods of Shark Reef''
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