''Smuggler's Island'' is a 1951 American

Technicolor Technicolor is a series of color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films running through a special ...

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

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, a ...

directed by

Edward Ludwig Edward Irving Ludwig (October 7, 1899 – August 20, 1982) was a Russian-born American film director and writer. He directed nearly 100 films between 1921 and 1963 (some under the names Edward I. Luddy and Charles Fuhr). Ludwig was also one ...

starring Jeff Chandler and

Evelyn Keyes Evelyn Louise Keyes (November 20, 1916 – July 4, 2008) was an American film actress. She is best known for her role as Suellen O'Hara in the 1939 film '' Gone with the Wind''. Early life Evelyn Keyes was born in Port Arthur, Texas, to Omar D ...

Chandler called the film one of his favourites because "I played myself". Around this time Chandler typically played characters of varying nationalities from different historical periods; this was a rare opportunity for him to play a contemporary American. "This is the most conscious effort made so far to sell the Chandler personality per se", he said. "Just plain Jeff Chandler – a nondescript American down on his luck. Filming started in June 1950.

Plot

Steve Kent's boat is repossessed in

Macao Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a po ...

, leaving him without a way to make his living as a deep sea diver. At a casino, he is introduced to wealthy and beautiful Vivian Craig, who at first seems interest in Steve romantically, then lets him know that what she needs more is his diving expertise. Agreeing to search for medical supplies lost in a plane crash, Steve goes underwater and locates them. Vivian goes along, and when one of the crates breaks open, Steve sees it actually contains a shipment of stolen gold. At first he intends to turn over Vivian to the authorities, but his attraction to her keeps Steve from doing so. Allan Craig, her husband, then turns up, after the gold. He offers his wife and Steve a three-way split to retrieve the bullion, but after double-crossing them, Allan gets his comeuppance when the boat explodes.

Cast

* Jeff Chandler as Steve Kent *

as Vivian Craig * Philip Friend as Allan Craig *

Marvin Miller Marvin Julian Miller (April 14, 1917 – November 27, 2012) was an American baseball executive who served as the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) from 1966 to 1982. Under Miller's direction, the players ...

as Bok-Ying * Ducky Louie as Kai Lun * David Bauer as Lorca (as David Wolfe) * Jay Novello as Espinosa * H. T. Tsiang as Chang

Production

The original cast announced for the film was Märta Torén,

Dick Powell Richard Ewing Powell (November 14, 1904 – January 2, 1963) was an American actor, musician, producer, director, and studio head. Though he came to stardom as a musical comedy performer, he showed versatility, and successfully transformed into ...

and Robert Douglas. Evelyn Keyes had just signed a contract with Universal to make nine films over seven years of which this was the first.

References

External links

* * {{Edward Ludwig 1951 films 1950s English-language films 1951 adventure films Films set in Hong Kong Films set in Macau Seafaring films Films about treasure hunting Underwater action films Universal Pictures films American adventure films 1950s American films