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White Cargo
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by MGM (Warner)
Sales Rank: 26947
Price: $19.98
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This movie has an excellent cast and an amusing, if unusual plot. It will probably offend the politically-correct crowd because the men in charge are all white, and the workers are all black. Plus, the term "white men" is used repeatedly. That's a no-no today. Hedy Lamarr is an eyeful as the sneaky and abusive Tandaleyo. Walter Pidgeon is a cranky, uptight leader of a rubber plantation. Richard Carlson (years before he starred in 1950's sci-fi movies) does a good job as his inexperienced, youthful assistant. "White Cargo" is not a great movie, but it is fun to watch.
Viewer Reviews
There's only one reason why I'm even rating this basically forgotten movie, which is VERY dated, and really not any better than an old "Jungle Jim" episode. It would probably be of interest only to old movie buffs, and, as one of those dying creatures, I feel the old flicks are worthy of preservation and viewing. But, the only obvious reason to watch this film is Hedy LaMarr. She (in my opinion) was never really a great actress, but was known for her flawless beauty. Louie B. Mayer imported Hedwig Keisler from Austria, after she literally created a splash in the then unheard of famous nude swim scene in "Ecstasy", in the early 1930's. She was married at one time to a wealthy industrialist, socialized with the likes of Hitler, and had adventures right out of the most imaginative fiction. She also co-invented a device which was used for tracking enemy German subs during World War Two, a fact which only recently came to light. Though most of her films in her Hollywood career were un-distinguished, she became a top star in the M.G.M. pantheon, simply by virtue of her screen image, and received top billing with the likes of Gable and Spencer Tracy. Her career waned in the 1950's, with even less distinguished roles, and, save for the occasional snippet of various semi-scandalous news in the papers, she dissapeared. In this film, she is so lushly, outrageously, ridiculously gorgeous, that she makes even someone like Liz Taylor in, for example, Cleopatra, look like a plain Jane. She is the ultimate "femme fatale", a role she basically never escaped. When I saw this movie as a kid... when Hedy comes out of the jungle and says "I am Tondeleyo", well... I think that's the moment when puberty kicked in, because I started shaking at the vision of this impossibly gorgeous, exotic dark bird of paradise. She is the epitome of the glamorous, other worldy mystique that stars such as Garbo and Dietrich projected in 1930's and '40's Hollywood, and Hedy in this film rivals even them. Hedy died just a few years ago, in relative obscurity, in a small Florida town. This little old lady was reportedly a good neighbor and friend to the few people she entrusted, who apparently were aware that their very elderly, sweet friend was, long...long ago, one of the legends of the Silver Screen. A real-life "Norma Desmond", though Hedy was, by all accounts, a happy lady in her final years, looked after by her loyal and protective friends. I can't honestly recommend buying this film for any reason other than viewing the raven haired, shimmering vision of un-equaled beauty that was Hedy LaMarr.
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White Cargo
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