Hurricane Smith (1952)

User Rating:

4.9/10   

Director:

Jerry Hopper

Writers:

Frank Gruber (screenplay)
Gordon Ray Young (story)

Release Date:

3 October 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure

Tagline:

THE PRIZE OF SOUTH SEA PIRATES! (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

South Sea freebooters fight for hidden treasure and the love of the beautiful Luana.

Plot Keywords:

Ship | Treasure | Mercenary | Beautiful Woman | Shark

Cast

Yvonne De Carlo	...	Luana Whitmore
John Ireland	...	Hurricane Smith
James Craig	...	Gorvahlsen
Forrest Tucker	...	Dan McGuire
Lyle Bettger	...	Clobb
Richard Arlen	...	Brundage
Mike Kellin	...	Dicer
Murray Matheson	...	Dr. Whitmore
Henry Brandon	...	Sam
Emile Meyer	...	Capt. Raikes
Stuart Randall	...	Matt Ward
Ralph Dumke	...	Ben Hawkins
Kim Spalding	...	Brown

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

UK:U | USA:Approved (certificate #15869) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Just Light Entertainment with a dull John Ireland

"Hurricane Smith" is a typical sort of pirates adventure with the classic group against group fight for a buried treasure in an island. Director Jerry Hopper can't count in his credits a good or memorable film and shorlty after this one he turned to television where he seemed to find his right place (he directed episodes of the most remarkable series of the 60's). But big screen adventures where perhaps too much for him.

"Hurricane Smith" is colourful and fast moving -which is good- but such a standard plot needed a more intense and daring direction (the final confrontation between the good and the bad guys in the island is definitely common and lacks strength and impact.

The cast fills the level of the film in general. Ivonne de Carlo is acceptable as Luana and she had an interesting screen presence. It is also amusing to have in the supporting cast such mean regulars as Lyle Bettger and Henry Brandon. On the other hand, John Ireland in the title role doesn't seem a good choice and he hurts the product. Ireland didn't quite make it to stardom because of a sort of common and not too charismatic personality; in fact, he will probably be remembered mostly for his supporting performances in some big budgets as "Spartacus" or "55 Days in Peking" or second villains such as the hoodlum in "Party Girl" or the gunfighter in John Sturges western "Gunfight at OK Corral". But my feeling is that he could not sustain a film as a the lead performer; a more vivacious and sympathetic actor as Hurricane Smith would probably have raised this film a bit (Stewart Granger, Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis or some other back then).

"Hurricane Smith" stands as a just average product in its genre; no more than a 5 out of 10 to me.