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

Director Frank Borzage said Joan Crawford was a trouper but did not mention a particular day in the jungle when Crawford, preceded by Clark Gable passed under a tree with an eight-foot python coiled on a branch overhead. "That son-of-a-b-h is alive!" screamed Crawford, looking upward. "Yes, but its jaws are shut tight with a rubber band," Borzage explained. "What happens if the f-king rubber band snaps?" Crawford asked, and refused to repeat the scene.

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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

Great film, a fantasy about God among us.

In disagreement with other viewers I found nothing UNEASY about this picture. The film, a great one, deals with a "Strange" character (Cambreau)who by his mannerisms and wisdom hint at his being God incarnate. The question then arises as to why God would come among a group of sinners, convicts and scum. The script is well-written and stimulates a great deal of feeling. The writer certainly was able to bring biblical principals to pass on the screen with well- employed similes. If one knows the bible at all, then they would know that Jesus Christ did exactly that and when he asked why he answered that it was the sick who needed a physician... NOT the well. All of the roles are well-acted. This picture is certainly in my top 20.