Bright, colourful "south of the border" banana plantation film in the mode of Torrid Zone. Try to put aside thoughts of what the United Fruit Corporation got up to and enjoy Rhonda Fleming have one of her best roles and give one of her best performances as a woman who inherits a banana plantation and goes for lots of swims and showers (I guess it is the tropics).
Ronald Reagan isn't exactly the ideal Mr Hard-bitten Adventurer in the third world - too affable - but the affability has its pleasures and he and Fleming make an excellent team; they have real camaraderie and chemistry. At first I thought it seemed a little suss Reagan couldn't get it up for the hot local who wanted him (Estelita) but he does seem to like Fleming.
For the most part this was enjoyable - lots of color and movement and shady characters hanging out in bars. Noah Beery has the third lead as an alcoholic and there's a surprising number of song and dance numbers from Estelita. It slows down towards the end when it really should speed up and there's too many scenes of rallying extras. But I didn't mind it.
There's some extra fun too in having Reagan play a character on the run from the political rulers of another country, and having to whip up the local natives to help them serve the interests of an American fruit company.
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