Johnny Weismuller swaps a loin cloth for clothes in this Pine-Thomas actioner which is probably best remembered (if at all) for uniting him with Buster Crabbe and for being his first non-Tarzan movie.
Actually the best thing about it is the setting - the Louisiana swamps. Cajun country, from Southern Comfort.
Weismuller looks awkward - a big lumbering dude who seems to have ambled in from, well, the set of a Tarzan film. Crabbe is a lot more effective, with his moustache and a decent ish stab at a French accent. Actually all the other performances are fine except Weismuller. I started riffing that the characters would bag out Weismuller's when he walked off screen ("he's an idiot", "oh I know he's the worst" etc etc) and that passed the time.
It feels as though they couldn't make up their mind as to what sort of movie this is, it's all over the place. There's a love quadrangle with Weismuller loved by local girl Carol Thurston and stylish city gal Virginia Grey and Crabbe loving Thurston. Weismuller has some PTSD because of the war. Thurston's brother dies. Crabbe poaches on someone's land. There's a swamp fire and a battle with an alligator.
It's all over the shop - melodrama with a bit of action. Feels like an "oh put that in" movie.
It is of some interest I just wish it was more disciplined.
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