Solid adventure tale which had been filmed a few times before - not surprisingly since the central conflict at the core is so strong: a battle of wills between two brothers, both sailors in love with the same woman, one dodgier than the other. Robert Taylor's craggy post war looks are put to good effect as the hero and Stewart Granger is an excellent villain, or rather anti hero (as he proved in Waterloo Road) - his brother.
The story has Taylor go on a voyage with his new ship after hearing Granger is dead. He takes with him childhood friend/sweetheart turned wife Ann Blyth, she of the china doll looks and permanent smile then runs into Granger in the south seas. Granger has a stash of pearls somewhere and wants to go get them - the other ships crew are keen but Taylor isn't, and a mutiny results. I was actually with the ship's crew on this one - Taylor seemed a little stingy not going along for the pearl trip (how hard would it have been? And it's not as though killing whales is that much honorable).
There is some decent-for-the-time action footage of Taylor and his crew hunting whales and Granger's adventures in the south seas are a fun. I found the final act not as good though there is a satisfactory finale.
Keenan Wynn is superb as a baddy and I liked James Whitmore too as another shonky sailor. Actually the whole support cast is very strong including Lewis Stone in his last role and Betta St John as a sexy south sea islander. Impressive colour and production design.
As an aside the plot reminded me a lot of The Master of Ballantrae - two feuding brothers, one reliable, the other flashy and dashing and more attractive to the girl they both love but dodgy, the dodgy brother having exotic adventures in the islands.
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