Fun movie despite or maybe because of the terrible acting.
Captain Carroll hires Woolf Barstow (Noah Beery) to be his first mate. Barstow has a bad reputation as a number of ships he’s been on have gone to the bottom. Also along is the Captain’s knock out daughter Mary (Miriam Seegar). Woolf has his beady eyes on Mary.
The second mate overhears a conversation between Barstow and Scar Murray as the men are heading for one day’s shore leave in Singapore. It’s all about Barstow’s racket. Barstow knocks him out and throws him overboard.
At a Singapore bar Barstow plots with owner Fong. He’ll sink the ship on the way to Manila and he and Fong along with Scar will collect the insurance money. Barstow says he needs a new second mate and he and Fong head for the bar. A brawl breaks out and a man named Steve Trent gets the best of one of Barstow’s men. Of course he’s hired as the new second mate.
The lights dim and it’s showtime. Here comes sexy dancer Concha (Dorothy Burgess). After turning on the crowd Barstow joins her in a back room. She’s his old girlfriend…at least she thinks she is. Barstow mentions Mary. That’s all it takes to get her jealous. She tries to stab him. Not even close.
Back on board ship while Barstow is romancing Mary who should come out of a lifeboat she’s stowed away in but…Concha. She’s icy to Mary. Trent also digs Mary. Trouble ahead. Captain Carroll discovers the racket and Barstow knocks him out. He tells Mary he had a stroke. It’s not long before the Captain dies.
Now everything is going Barstow’s way. He manages to get Trent locked up below after he defended Concha while Barstow was tossing her around. He tells Mary he’s going to marry her and she reluctantly agrees. Now it’s time to put his master plan into action.
It all comes to a fun ending. If you’re not expecting much you make like this one for its own bordering on ridiculous plot and resolution.
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