Maria Montez's first leading role is very much in the Dorothy Lamour isn't-she-beautiful-and-hot-for-white-visitors-native-island-girl mode - a type which, interestingly, she didn't play that much once she became a star (she was more likely to be an oriental princess).
Universal made a lot of buddy comedies at the time, many starring Andy Devine - this one has Devine, Broderick Crawford and Brian Donlevy as American sailors who wind up on a south sea island, where Montex is a princess.
It ticks all the boxes of south sea cliches: a dingy bar full of sailors and a hooker, a brawl, lying on the deck of a yacht, washing up on a beach and waking up to find the chief's daughter staring at you, the native turns out to be actually white and adopted therefore allowing a happy ending, random tigers running through the island, sacrifice, hidden temples with pots and fire, shark killing a local, funeral, unscrupulous pearl dealers, breaking tribal law, an ambitious unscrupulous tribal Iago figure and kindly chief.
It's in black and white but is fast paced and quite fun. The cast is strong even if Donlevy isn't handsome enough to play Montez's love. It's unsatisfactory Henry Wilcoxon isn't killed and turns good - no real close ups for him.
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