Strange Cargo (1940)

Convicts escaping from Devil's Island come under the influence of a strange Christ-like figure.

Director:

Frank Borzage

Writers:

Richard Sale (novel), Lawrence Hazard (screenplay),

Stars:

Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Ian Hunter

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Joan Crawford	...	Julie
Clark Gable	...	André Verne
Ian Hunter	...	Cambreau
Peter Lorre	...	M'sieu Pig
Paul Lukas	...	Hessler
Albert Dekker	...	Moll
J. Edward Bromberg	...	Flaubert
Eduardo Ciannelli	...	Telez
John Arledge	...	Dufond
Frederick Worlock	...	Grideau, the Prison Head (as Frederic Worlock)
Bernard Nedell	...	Marfeu
Victor Varconi	...	Fisherman

Storyline

Verne wants nothing more than to escape from a penal colony located off the northern coast of South America. He tries to involve Julie, a saloon girl, in his plans but she turns him in to the authorities. On Verne's next try, he piggybacks on the escape of six other convicts and runs into Julie again in the process. One of the convicts is a spiritual figure who seems to know what will happen before anyone else. The group attempts to travel through the jungle, board a boat, and make it to the mainland.

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Plot Keywords:

convict | escape | colony | island | jungle | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 March 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

Aftoi pou xehasan ton Theo

Filming Locations:

Laguna, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,252,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Loew's, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although Crawfod was top-billed on all release prints, Gable's name was first in all publicity material. This was his first film following Gone with the Wind.

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Goofs

At one point we see Verne (Clark Gable) escape by jumping out a window into the water. A short while later, on land, he pulls a bible out from inside his shirt to check a map printed inside. As he flips through the pages of the bible, there is no sign whatsoever that this book got wet. This bible - which he carried unprotected - should have shown obvious signs of water immersion (damp edges, soggy paper, etc.) but it appears to be perfectly dry.

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Quotes

André Verne: Whenever you want sanctuary, babe, here's where you'll find it.
[tapping thumb to chest]
André Verne: Right here, in the ol' temple.
Julie: Don't tap your heart, you'll break your finger. And if you're sanctuary, I'll take whatever else is lying around.

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Connections

Featured in Clark Gable: Tall, Dark and Handsome (1996)

User Reviews

Religious Allegory Perhaps?

I confess that I too do not entirely understand all of the message of Strange Cargo - and am not sure that whether or not that is an intentional device used to help each viewer decide meaning for himself/herself(OK, it's a stretch!). The story is simple: French prisoners in French Guyana are tired of the old prison life and routine and eventually make a break for the surrounding jungle amidst virtually no chances of success. We have a rather eclectic group: Clark Gable as arrogant as he comes as the head "Cheese" so to speak, Albert Dekker as Moll who is Gable's only real threat for supremacy, Paul Lukas as a spouse-killing German, Joan Crawford as a wise-cracking woman fallen on hard times(never quite sure whether or not it is established that she is/was a prostitute), and Ian Hunter in a strange role as some kind of super Christian and Samaritan. Aiding the cast is Peter Lorre as "Pig" who is after Crawford with a vengeful lust. The story is straightforward, but what is not is its intent. Each of these prisoners are troubled men with troubled consciences. Hunter's character is almost(or is indeed) a Christ-like figure out to ease each individual's pain and torment. Some men embrace his message prior to death, some live on with the promise of happiness, and one ignores it completely and resumes doing what he had that had gotten him into prison. I guess for me the thematically rich substrate is saying something about the importance of choice and the ease in which each of us can be forgiven if only we want to be forgiven. Director Frank Borzage does a decent job with this symbolic material. Some things might just be too ambiguous. But Borzage keeps the pacing going. Probably the most irritating thing for me was Gable's performance. His character is too pushy, too cocky, too crude to be charming, affable, or interesting at all. I didn't care what happened to him and routinely rooted against him. Joan Crawford fares much better giving a pretty nice performance with some dimension - though not much. Dekker and Lukas are very good; Lorre is good with a throwaway role. For me, Ian Hunetr gives the best, most interesting, and most likable performance as the mouthpiece of Heaven so to speak. His subtle acting really diminishes the possible heavy-handedness inherent in a role like this. Hunter plays his part in a first-rate fashion. Though certainly not one of the greatest films ever made, I found Strange Cargo a very interesting movie with a very interesting message.